


Our Messed Up World

by TheLacedNinja



Series: Our Messed Up World [1]
Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Bottom Joseph, F/F, F/M, Finally found the ship name for those two crazy mental patients!, Fluff, I suck at tags, I will have sex I promise, Joseb - Freeform, Joseph Oda - Freeform, Joseph being a dad, Julie Kidman - Freeform, Leslie being his adopted son, Leslie!, M/M, Oh so very slow, Oh yes, Ruleslie, Ruvik - Freeform, Ruvik has a body, Ruvik is a dick, RuvikxLeslie, Sebastian Castellanos - Freeform, Sebastian being awkward, SebastianxJoseph, Sex, Slow Build, Sort of like Hannibal, This is an AU, Those stupid feels, Top Sebastian, everything is awkward, might be more - Freeform, thank you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2018-04-16 22:43:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 30
Words: 104,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4642770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLacedNinja/pseuds/TheLacedNinja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Joseph Oda moved to Krimson City to begin his new job he knew it would be hard. Especially since adopting Leslie. He felt guilty since that was the first he case he felt like he failed. However, he enjoyed the life of being a father. He loved that he had someone that depended on him. Which is why it surprised him when he met his new partner, Sebastian Castellanos. He was this brash, gruff, and very hard to deal with person, but when they worked together they just clicked. It was odd to say the least. Now that he was working with Detective Castellanos he wondered if this could be the start of something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Big Move

**Author's Note:**

> Hello one and all! This is kind of like an AU. Joseph adopt Leslie, Ruvik has a body, and other stuff. I can't just explain it all here, but I would like for you to read. Also feel free to ask questions. Overall this fanfic is about the Joseph and Sebastian. Jojo adopts Leslie because of his earliest case and yeah. Like I said, please read and ask questions if you want. Thank you for reading!

Joseph looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was slicked back, his clothes were perfectly pressed, and his glasses were clean. He looked down to put on his gloves when he noticed they weren’t there. He sighed knowing the culprit that took them. Walking past several unopened boxes he came to a room. He opened the door to see the white haired boy trying them on. He couldn’t hide a small smile. He could not believe he took this boy in five years ago. 

It was on a case where he was considered a rookie, but was still very new to the being a detective. That case was the hardest he had ever done. Because of that case it caused Leslie to become an orphan. However, he never regretted taking in the boy. Having someone rely on him was nice. Although he knew Leslie would never truly be normal, he could at least give him a decent life. 

“Why did you steel my gloves?” He asked. Leslie ducked his head, a habit he still hasn’t outgrown despite Joseph being nothing but caring to the boy. He was always scared.

“They…they feel nice,” he responded in a low tone. He took them off. “Why…why do you wear them?” 

Joseph frowned a little looking at the boy. “I just don’t need asking questions,” he responded. Leslie smiled a little. He was wearing a pair of converses, jeans, and a white hoodie. “Now, are you ready to take a look at the school?” 

Leslie nodded excitedly. This would be his first time in a public setting like this. Joseph had tried keeping him away from a public school environment because of the trauma he had gone through, but Leslie insisted. He had said that he wanted to be normal. Joseph found it hard to say no to him, considering he was really cute. So after months of searching the area for a good school, he finally found one. 

The boy stood up and followed Joseph out of his room. He played with his hands. It was a nervous tick that would not go away. “Anyways, after the tour we have an appointment with a new doctor. I heard he could help tremendously. Leslie, are you listening?” Joseph frowned when he looked at the boy. He was looking out the window. 

They had moved to an apartment building that is in the middle of the city. It was close to where Joseph and Leslie had to be. The apartment they lived in was fairly nice. Their new home had a kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and a single bathroom. Leslie liked this place. He liked seeing the city. Joseph knew this. That is another reason why he chose this apartment building. 

“Leslie?” He asked again. The boy turned to him. 

“S-sorry,” he said looking down. “Not…not been sleeping well.” 

“It’s fine,” the detective smiled gently. He reached out for the boy, gently placing his hands on his shoulders. “Leslie, don’t forget you can tell me anything. We’re family.” 

Leslie smiled. Joseph then led him outside the apartment. “When…when are you starting your job?” Leslie asked as they approached to the car. 

“Tomorrow,” he said. “Today is a settling in day. I was also thinking about having some pizza for dinner.” Leslie smiled brightly. He was just like a kid. “Thought you would like that.” They got into the car. Joseph couldn’t hide the smile. This kid was really cute. He never regretted the choice adopting Leslie. He just wished Leslie realized that more often. 

 

Meanwhile 

Sebastian Castellanos walked the long hallways of the asylum. He was visiting his old friend, or enemy. He often came to visit this mad man because at one point they were friends. However, that was a very long time ago. Now he was just something apart of his past that he occasionally talked to and assisted him with special cases. This time was different. He was not here for a case or a visit. Instead this old friend called him in to have a little chat with him. That never happened. He was normally the one requesting these meetings. 

Now, as he walked down these creepy halls, he regretted agreeing to come visit him. He sighed as he came to the special designed cell. This cell had glass to keep him separated from the outside. Heavy-duty metal bars held this glass. 

“Hello, Seb,” he heard a dark voice say. He looked to see his old enemy Ruvik sitting at his desk with papers scattered all over the place. He was wearing a white hooded jacket and pants. He did not have a shirt on because of all the burn scars he had covering his body. Sebastian always shuddered when he thought about how he got so deformed. 

“What is it?” The detective asked clearly very annoyed. “I have work to be doing. I can’t visit you all the time.” 

A smile came on his face. “That hurts me,” he said very sarcastically. “I heard you were finally getting a new partner. Seemed they found someone that might be able to keep you in check.” 

Sebastian scoffed at him. “It won’t last very long,” he said. “Just some hotshot from Canada, I think.” 

“With a very interesting case history,” Ruvik said turning to look at him. He hated looking at his face. Those scars that covered his body and the haunting eyes. He had just such a cold look. To think he was a decent looking person a long time ago and was considered a genius. 

“What’s it to you about my new partner anyways?” Sebastian asked. He really hated this. “It’s not like it will effect you.”

“It kind of will,” he said. “If you get a new partner that means a new headache for me to deal with. You’re bad enough, but perhaps this new partner will give me less headaches.” 

Sebastian laughed. “Always thinking about yourself,” he said. Ruvik glared at him. “Listen, who I work with won’t affect anything involving you.” 

“Afraid I’ll find dirt on someone you’re most likely going to fuck?” Ruvik asked smirking a little. Sebastian scoffed at that little comment. 

“Whatever you say to make you feel better,” Sebastian said. Ruvik looked at him with another steely stare. The man sighed. “And if I need your help on this damn case I’ll let you know. Enjoy your solitary confinement.” He said walking down the hallways. Ruvik turned back to his desk. He found doing research on his new partner to be very interesting. Besides, why would he not be interested? If he can’t cut open the person and experiment on their body to find out what makes them tick then doing intense background checks is the third best thing. 

 

Joseph waited outside the new psychiatrist’s office. Leslie was going to be in there for roughly an hour and he decided to take the time to finish up some paper work he got from the school. He hated this part worst of all. It was just annoying and time consuming. He much prefers working or spending time with Leslie. However, this was apart about being parent. He sighed. When he told his parents that he was moving to Krimson City they did not really care.

After he decided to adopt Leslie his family practically cut him out of their lives. The detective was fairly young. His family thought it was an idiotic idea adopting a child with serious mental problems. Joseph on the other hand felt guilty about everything that happened to this poor boy. He had to help give him a little bit of a normal life. A few months after the adoption became official they just stopped talking to him. Leslie felt awful about it for a long time, but Joseph assured him he never regretted the decision. And that was true. Never regretted taking the boy into his care. 

Soon an hour passed and Leslie came out. He looked like he had been crying. “What happened?” Joseph asked the man. 

“I’m afraid he might have had a flashback,” he explained. “I asked him to tell me about himself and he couldn’t bring himself to talk about his family. I thought it would help him, but I was wrong.” 

Joseph looked at him. Leslie was in looking like he wanted to go home. “It’s fine,” he said. “I’ll see you at our next appointment.” 

“Yes,” the doctor said. “Take care. Leslie, you too.” He gave a warm smile and walked away. 

Joseph and Leslie left the building. “Don’t like him,” he heard the boy say suddenly. “Don’t like him.” 

“Why not?” He asked looking at his adoptive son with a very concerned look. “He seemed nice to me.” 

Leslie shook his head. “Bad…” He said. The detective sighed. It must be bad if Leslie was talking like this. “Don’t like him.” 

“I’ll investigate further,” he said. He quickly put Leslie in the car. Before he got in himself he looked back at the building. He frowned. This doctor was supposed to help people. He had amazing reviews, had been published, and above all he had results. Now, after one visit Leslie is saying he hates the guy. This could either be that he was truly an evil person or that the boy did not like him as a person. Either way it called for a little concern. 

“Go home?” Leslie asked as Joseph sat in the car. 

“Yeah,” he said. “We’re going home.” 

 

The next day was chaotic. Sebastian woke up with the most terrible headache his ever had. That stupid visit to Ruvik was a bad idea. Visits with that man always ended in headaches. He wished he could miss work, but he had to go. Groaning, he got up. He went through the shower and glanced at his face. He didn’t need to shave that badly. He just decided to ignore that part. He got dressed and left his apartment building.

Once he was at the police station he got out. Walking in he saw a very nicely dressed gentleman. He took in his appearance. Slicked back hair, nice clothes, and glasses that framed his eyes. He noticed he wore gloves. He wondered why someone like him was here. He was filling out some sort of visitor pass. He kept his thoughts to himself. Sebastian walked passed him, but not before taking a look at his ass. Yeah. That was a good-looking ass. It was a good thing this man wore such nice looking pants. 

Sebastian then went to the Chief’s office. She was looking through papers of a new case that just appeared. The woman looked up at Sebastian and gave a small smile. “How was Ruvik?” She asked. 

“Crazy,” Sebastian said. “Still don’t know why I even agreed to see the bastard.” 

“You might be harboring feelings of guilt,” she said looking directly at him. Then she smiled. “Or just because you’re still friends in a weird way.” 

“I like the first one better,” he said. “So, where is my new partner?” 

The Chief looked up. Her office door opened behind him. “He’s right behind you.” She said. “Sebastian Castellanos meet Joseph Oda.” 

“Hello,” he heard the younger man say. The detective looked to see it was the same person he saw filling out paperwork at the front desk. His mouth dropped. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”


	2. New Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a slow chapter because the main characters get to meet each other and investigate a murder!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! Seriously, that means a lot to me. This fanfic has been so much fun to write. I do hope you all enjoy it! Thank you again!

Joseph felt very awkward. He has always been an awkward person. But now that he was meeting someone new, Sebastian Castellanos. He had to admit that the older gentleman was rather attractive. He had this gruff appearance. He looked to be in his thirties, perhaps mid thirties. He had a little bit of a beard growing. The younger of the two thought he skipped on shaving. Joseph also noticed how fit he was considering his age.

Yeah. He felt very awkward. The silence he received from Sebastian when he first walked into the chief’s office is the cause of all this. It was almost like he was in shocked by his presence. “Hi,” the man finally was able to say. This gave a little relief to Joseph when he finally spoke. “Nice to meet you too.” He extended his hand. Joseph shook it.

Sebastian looked down at the gloves. He noticed them when he saw him filling out the paper work. He wanted to ask about the gloves, but decided against it. “Glad you two have finally met,” the chief said. “Joseph, I do hope you enjoy being a detective in Krimson City. It is great to have you here with us.”

“And it will be great working with you too, Chief Callahan.” Joseph said. He was very awkward, but at least he was in his element.

“You can call her Alison,” Sebastian joked. The chief glared at him.

“There are only three people allowed to call me Alison,” she said. “My husband and you are two of them.” The chief looked at the two detectives. “Now, that we all know each other’s names I think it’s time for me to assign a case to you.” She grabbed a file from her desk.

Joseph took it from her. He began reading through the file. “What’s the case about?” Sebastian asked.

“A killer has decided to bring Jack alive,” she said. Sebastian and Joseph looked at her. “If you look in the file you can see that certain body parts of the corpses were missing and all the victims were prostitutes.”

“Some wacko idolizing their hero or something?” Sebastian asked taking the file from Joseph.

“We don’t know,” the chief said. “That might be the most likely possibility, but we can’t be certain. Bottom line we need to bring this jackass in.”

“Shouldn’t another body be surfacing then?” Joseph asked looking up from the fine. Callahan looked at him. “It seems like the bodies, considering we’ve had three victims, appear every two weeks. The last body was found roughly two weeks ago. Another victim, with fresh evidence, should be appearing shortly.”

“Good work, Oda.” Alison said. “I want you two to be on call when that body surfaces. Be the first on the scene. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they both said together.

“Good,” she said. “Now get out of my office.” They both left. Joseph got out a little black book. He began writing down some notes.

Sebastian looked at him. “Do you want to take a look at some evidence?” He asked the younger man. He nodded his head. Sebastian led him to the evidence room. It was a little awkward being alone with him. He felt compelled to talk to him, but about what exactly?

“Why do you get to call the Chief Alison?” Joseph suddenly asked. “And who’s the third?”

“We are old friends and the other one is none of you business,” Sebastian said. He looked back. He felt a little bad about snapping at him. “Sorry. The third one is just kind of a touchy subject.”

“Understandable,” he said. The man adjusted his glasses. “So, Jack the Ripper Junior.”

Sebastian laughed a little. “I guess so,” he said. It was awkward again. Joseph just seemed so much more put together. He could not believe how cute he was. He quickly put that thought asides as they arrived to the evidence box. It had a few things, but nothing much to go on, a lot of photos of the body and the coroner’s report on the victims.

Joseph made notes in his little black book. Sebastian hated that he could not talk to him. They were both very awkward and did not know each other that well. Once they were done looking through the evidence they returned to the main area. “Hey, why don’t I treat you to lunch?” Sebastian asked. “Since you’re new and all that shit.”

Joseph looked at the time. “Yeah,” he said smiling a little. “I’d like that.”

They both left for a little restaurant that Sebastian had recommended. It was still awkward. Sebastian thought that he could talk to him a little more openly being out of the police station, but it turned out he was wrong. They sat their awkwardly looking at menus. The waitress finally came to their table and took their order.

Sebastian order a hamburger with almost every ingredient one could think of, except mushrooms. He also had a side of onion rings. Joseph thought that it was a lot of food. He decided to order a simple salad. Sebastian joked around about how he was watching his weight. Joseph just waved it off as nothing and just laughed at his joke.

“I’m just messing with you,” Sebastian said.

“Maybe I am watching my weight,” Joseph joked. He smirked a little when Sebastian laughed.

“So you do have a sense of humor,” the older man said. He ate more of his own food. “Got any family back home?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I had parents and two siblings.”

“You’re from Canada, right?” He asked.

Joseph nodded. “Born there,” he said smiling. “My family and I moved between the United States and Canada throughout high school."

“What made you want to become a detective?” Sebastian asked. Joseph shrugged eating more of his salad.

“I wanted to try and help people,” he said simply. “Why did you want to become a detective?”

“Same as you,” he said. “I wanted to find the crazy people that harm the innocent.”

Joseph nodded. He then looked down at his watch. “We should head back to the station,” he said getting his wallet out.

Sebastian stopped him. “My treat, remember?” He said taking his wallet out. Joseph gave a small smile. The older detective decided he liked his new partner. He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and noticed things that he himself did not even notice. It was a nice surprise to meet someone that had a good heart. It seemed like he was going to be very entertaining to work with.

Now it was time to work on this case. They needed to find suspects and be prepared for when the newest body would surface. This reminded Sebastian of the cases when he worked with his wife and his old friend. It was a time that he rather not remember. Back then he was a different man. Which is why he thought Chief Callahan made Joseph his new partner. He needed someone to keep him in line while they were on a case. That is what Myra was. She was someone to keep in touch with reality and able to keep him from getting in too deep. However, she was not here anymore.

Which is why he wondered how he and Joseph would get along. It was clear that the younger man was very smart and talented for noticing details, but how was he when it came to holding a gun? How was he when interrogating possible suspects? He still knew virtually nothing about this man. He was just an interesting new element in his life.

Joseph then got up around two-thirty. Sebastian looked at him with a little bit of confusion. “I have somewhere to be,” Joseph explained. “Keep me updated.” He left the station without saying that much. Sebastian sighed. Clearly his new partner kept things very private. For a brief moment he thought about going to see Ruvik to see if he got any information, but he decided against it. Visiting that man only resulted in headaches. He decided that he would just unravel the mystery that is Joseph Oda some other day.

 

The next day Sebastian got a call that a new body had been found. He called Joseph and he said that he would be there soon. Sebastian waited at the crime scene for his partner. He took out a cigarette. He then saw Joseph pulling up to the scene. He gave a wave at the younger man. The detective noticed that he seemed a little frazzled.

Joseph got out of his car and walked over to detective Castellanos. “How does it look?” He asked taking out his little black book.

“Like a crime scene,” he answered. Joseph rolled his eyes. “Come one. Let’s check this out.”

Joseph followed him inside. The crime scene was at an old abandoned factory that was beginning to fall apart. Where the murder took place looked like it used to be the main office where the boss used to work. In this old office was a bed that looked fairly new. On this new bed was a woman that had been opened entirely. A blindfold covered her face and a cotton swab covered her mouth. There was no blood on her face, which made the tears that she had been shedding at the time of her death so much more visible.

When they looked away from the face to the body it was unlike anything Joseph had ever seen. Her body was cut open like a fish. The entire incision went from the bottom of her neck to the just barely above her lower regions. Instantly it looked like someone had been playing with insides of the poor woman.

Her lungs were missing, along with her womb. Joseph looked to see that an expert had done this. The lines were clean and elegant. The murderer took the time to ensure that everything was done properly. There were no other cuts on her body except where the insides were exposed. What was the most interesting thing above all else was the fact that the blood was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s the blood?” Joseph asked himself out loud.

“That is another common factor with the murders,” Sebastian said. “The blood is no where near the body.”

“He’s taken the time to clean up the crime scene,” Joseph said frowning. “It’s like a show.”

Sebastian looked at the body and frowned. “Maybe he is a surgeon,” he said out loud. “Everything is done with a steady hand. The weapon would be sharp enough to cut through human flesh, but still create a clean cut. Just like a scalpel.”

Joseph nodded his head in agreement. “It makes sense,” he said. Something caught his eye. He went to the body and noticed a small piece of paper. It was wedged between the mattress and the bed frame. It was very hard to see if you were simply glancing at the scene. He grabbed it, being careful not the touch anything. Sebastian came up to him. The two detectives looked at the paper. It read, four.

The two looked at each other with a bit of shock and horror. He had been counting. Sebastian wondered if this was the first time that something like this had been noticed. He went to one of the officers. “Get me the file now,” he practically growled at the poor man. He then turned attention back to Joseph. “That’s new. Do you think that he’s done this with the other victims?”

“Most likely,” Joseph said. He grabbed an evidence bag. “But considering this was well hidden we might have missed something.” Joseph began looking around the body for any other evidence. That’s when he found something hidden underneath the bed. A candy wrapper. He grabbed it, placing it inside the bag. “Found something else. We might be able to get DNA off of it,” he said getting up.

“Good work,” Sebastian said taking the bag. “Let’s report back as soon as possible.” Joseph nodded.

 

The rest of the day was spent trying to sort through any doctors that had some sort of violent history or if any medical equipment missing. It was tedious work, but Joseph kind of enjoyed it. It was some almost mindless work. It was something that he could get done quickly. When he looked over to his partner he saw that he was dragging. He honestly seemed to hate doing this. It was clear that he was much better at in-person-investigating.

The younger man decided to focus on his own work though. He had to pick up Leslie soon. It was days like these that he hated moving away. Where he used to work he had a few coworkers willing to help pick him up and despite his parents were against him raising the child, his siblings helped watch him while he had some late nights. However, he had no one in Krimson City to help bring him home or give him some dinner while he was running late. He hated this. Leslie could take care of himself, but he had anxiety about being alone. Every since he was child it has been a problem. And he couldn’t just bring in some random caregiver. Leslie also had trust issues.

He sighed looking at the clock. He then saw Sebastian getting up. “You seemed stressed,” he said. Joseph only nodded.

“I’ve got to be somewhere in fifteen minutes,” he said taking off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes. “But I’m nowhere close to being done. I’ll have to bring it home.”  
“Well, I could go,” Sebastian suggested.

“No,” Joseph said standing up. He began gathering the papers. “It’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Want me to give you a lift at least?” Sebastian asked. Joseph looked at him. “Or I could help you out tonight if you want. I’m not done either. I can help.”

“I… Yeah. That would be great,” he said. He sat his stuff down writing something on a piece of paper. “This is my address. We can have dinner and get this work done.”

He looked at the piece of paper. Joseph handed him the paper. He looked like he was about to say something, but decided not to say anything. “See you later,” he said leaving. Joseph went to his car and sighed. He was an idiot. He should have told him about Leslie or not to come over. But he was interested in the detective. Even if whatever he wanted went anywhere, he had to at least try and attempt to be friends with him. Yeah. Joseph was an idiot.

 

Sebastian came to address. It was around five-thirty. He noticed he lived in a nice apartment building. He pressed the button to let him know he was here. “Hello?” He heard Joseph’s voice.

“It’s me,” Sebastian said.

“Come on up,” he said. He heard the locks let up. He walked inside the building. He began walking up the stairs. He was on the third floor so he decided to walk. Now he was in front of the door that belonged to his new partner. Sebastian knocked on the door. The door slowly opened. Suddenly he felt like his life was drained out of him.

Opening the door was a young boy with white hair. He had on a white and black hoodie. He wore jeans and no shoes were on him. Sebastian could not believe what he was seeing. Surely Joseph was not that old. He still looked to be in his twenties. Now he was staring at a teenage boy. The boy looked at him with a scared expression.

“H-hello,” he said in a low voice.

“Hi,” he managed to say. This was going to be an interesting night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! Second chapter. Like I said I will be updating every Sunday. The fanfic will have slow build, like oh so slow build, however there is fluff and other shit like murder and junk. Anyways, I was thinking of maybe writing little side stories involving this AU. Like a little of when Joseph was raising a young Leslie or maybe even like a Christmas or Halloween special. Let me know what you guys think and give me some ideas. Thank you again for everything! You are all beautiful people and I love yo faces! See you next Sunday and let me know if you have any questions! Thank you!


	3. Knowing Jojo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We enjoy a nice little dinner with the Oda family and our favorite crazy guy kind of comes up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thank you for all the likes and kudos! That means so much! I love writing this and sharing it with all of you. Also let me know if I should do a little series of short stories involving the little group. Thank you again my friends! Enjoy!

Two thoughts went through Sebastian head. One: he clearly had the wrong apartment and is possibly scaring some kid. And two: he clearly did not know about Joseph Oda. He has a kid. He tried remembering if he saw any wedding band or perhaps some sort of mention of his spouse. But he could not remember anything. This child is something interesting. He looked nothing like the man he called his partner. In fact, he did not look like he was all there. He was shaking and avoiding eye contact. 

“Leslie, did you check the peep hole?” He heard Joseph ask. He spoke in a soft voice towards the boy. 

“I-I checked,” he said turning around. “I-it’s him.” Sebastian looked at the kid. 

“Let him in,” Joseph said. Leslie moved out of the way. He allowed the man to enter their home. Sebastian saw Joseph setting up the table. Leslie walked over to the table and sat down. He looked down. “Hey. Sorry about Leslie. He’s shy.” 

“It’s fine,” Sebastian said. He could not break his eyes away from the white haired boy. Then he made his eyes look at Joseph. He was not that old to have a child roughly fifteen years old. “Um, are you babysitting?” The man knew that this might either be very touchy or very interesting. 

“He’s my son,” Joseph answered in a matter-of-fact tone. “I adopted him.” 

“Really?” He asked. This was all too weird. However Joseph seemed just fine with being with the kid. In fact it seemed natural. 

“Uh, yeah,” Joseph said smiling a little. “It was back at one of my earlier cases.” 

“S-saved me,” Leslie said. Joseph smiled a little more. 

“Anyways, if it’s weird then you can go home,” the younger man said. 

“Not at all,” Sebastian said. He now knew a little more about his new partner. He was a good person. He took in this boy when he was clearly very young. It also seemed that Leslie liked living with Joseph as well. “So, what are we having for dinner?”

“Chinese,” he said smiling. “It was kind of the quickest option. Leslie’s appointment ran over.” 

“Don’t like,” he said. Joseph frowned. He began to divide the food. Sebastian noticed the frown that appeared on his face when Leslie said that. 

Soon they began to eat. Sebastian began talking to him about how when he was younger he would eat Chinese food almost every night. In fact, he expressed his love for the stuff. Joseph found it kind of entertaining. Leslie did not talk much. He just enjoyed listening to the conversations between the two men. It was nice having a house with conversation. 

Leslie never talked much. Joseph would always talk to him, but it was not like this. It was more natural. That was one thing the boy wanted most. He wanted to be able to talk to people normally. He was doing well, until he moved to Krimson City. He liked his new home, but he hated the people. The only person that mattered was Joseph. He is the only one that showed him some form of kindness. Ever since Joseph took him in his care he felt like he actually loved and cared for him. 

Not that his family hadn’t given him that. He became different after their murder. After they were gone no one seemed to understand him. He was truly alone. But Joseph took him into his home and cared for him. That is why he opened up more to the detective. It felt normal. 

“Hey, Leslie,” he heard Sebastian say. He looked up at the man. “You want a fortune cookie? They are supposed to tell your future, but I think it’s a way to tell you crap.” 

Leslie nodded. He took one from Sebastian’s hand. “Thank you,” he said opening up the cookie. He looked at the piece of paper. He began to eat a little bit of the cookie. The young boy read the fortune. “Time will heal all wounds, but love heals one.” He frowned at his fortune thinking it was ridicules. 

“Interesting,” Joseph said opening up his own cookie. 

“Your fortune?” Leslie asked. 

“Just some stupid nonsense,” he said setting it down. 

“That’s what they are supposed to be,” Sebastian said eating his cookie. “However I like to call it a piece of shit.” Joseph rolled his eyes. 

“No bad words,” Leslie said. Sebastian laughed. 

“My bad,” he said. “So, want to get to work?” 

Joseph nodded. He gathered the plates. Leslie came to help him. “I-I’ll clean,” he said taking the plates. The young boy went to the kitchen. 

The two detectives were sat up in the living room. Joseph grabbed his laptop. He took off his glasses. Sebastian finally got a good look at the man. The younger man still looked very young, but some stress lines were beginning to form because of his line of work. Joseph as rather good looking and was kind of adorable. There was something about him raising a child that made him seem like not such a bad person. The younger detective seemed to really care about Leslie. 

They began their work. Joseph would always look towards the kitchen to listen in on Leslie. Sebastian could not hide the little laugh he gave when Joseph did that. He was the most concerned parent he had ever met. Joseph would always apologize for not paying attention. Sebastian assured him that it was all good. 

Soon Leslie was done cleaning the dishes. He went to his room. He knew not to bother Joseph while he was working. Sebastian looked up briefly to see him going back to his room. He then noticed pictures. There were some of Joseph and his family and then there were some of Joseph and Leslie. In these pictures he looked so young. He kept wondering as to what made him want to adopt the boy in the first place. 

He’s had a few friends that have adopted children, but when they wanted a child they wanted a child that was either really young or one with a good mental state. Joseph was clearly very young when he took in Leslie and it was clear that he was in fact not all the way there. It was just all confusing to the detective. However, he figured that Joseph would tell him one of these days. He just had to be patient. 

After a few hours of working they were finally done. It was around ten o’clock at night. Sebastian stretched as he got up. Joseph excused himself to check on Leslie. He left the room. Sebastian decided to look at the photos more closely. There were two photos Joseph had of him and his family. One was a picture with them on vacation and his graduation. There were several photos of Joseph and Leslie. Both of them looked happy in these pictures. Some were at vacations and others were at random points. It was cute. Then there was one single picture of Leslie’s family. It was him, his parents, and siblings sitting together at the table. Leslie looked happy then too. This must be before he became an orphan. 

Joseph then came back. He noticed Sebastian looking at the pictures. “See anything interesting?” Joseph asked crossing his arms. 

Sebastian turned around. He gave a look knowing he had been caught. “Sorry,” he said. “I was just looking around. Um, how old were you when you adopted Leslie?” 

“I had just turned twenty-two,” he said seriously. His expression was rather cold. “Some things happened during a case I was working and I took Leslie into my care.” 

Sebastian about joked back a gasp. “Wouldn’t you still be in college?” He asked. Yeah. He would surely still be in school. 

“I was a very bright student,” he said. “I became a detective by the time I was twenty-one. Actually, my family is full of rather bright people. My sister became a doctor when she was twenty-three.” 

“Impressive,” the older man said. He was still very shocked. This kid was a lot like Myra. She was insanely smart and talented. This Joseph Oda was very interesting. Dear God he hoped Ruvik did not know that. “Sorry for prying. I was just kind of surprised that you had a kid. I never pictured you as the type of person to have children actually.” 

“It was honestly an impulse,” Joseph said looking down. “I felt guilty and took him in my care. It was not easy at first, but I don’t regret adopting him. He’s my son now.” 

“So, is there a significant other?” Sebastian asked. He could not really believe that his partner was raising the kid alone. 

“No,” he said relaxing a little. “People kind of freak out when they find out you have a kid.” 

Sebastian laughed a little. “Sorry,” he said. “But it’s kind of funny.” He looked at the time. It was getting late and he had to get home. “It’s getting late. We both need our sleep. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” 

“Oh you don’t have to,” Joseph said. 

“It’ll be easier if we carpool and today you looked a little frazzled,” he said. Joseph laughed a little.

“Leslie had a nightmare and we both overslept,” he said. 

“All the more reason to help you,” he said giving a small smile. “See you tomorrow, Jojo.” 

“Please don’t call me that,” he said sighing. 

“Too late,” he said leaving the apartment. “Goodnight.” 

Joseph rolled his eyes. He might actually enjoy working with Sebastian Castellanos. He did not seem that bad at all. It also seemed like Leslie liked him fairly well. He never liked new people, but it seemed like Leslie he was enjoying the other man in the house. It was a nice change from his often-shaky body when new people were introduced. He decided he would like working with detective Castellanos. 

 

The next day Sebastian came to the apartment. Joseph let him in. Leslie was gathering his books from his room. Joseph was grabbing a few things. “Sorry,” he said. “It’s been kind of crazy.” 

“That’s fine,” Sebastian said. Leslie was soon done and came up to the detective. “Hey, Leslie. How are you?” 

“F-fine,” he replied. Sebastian smiled at him a little. 

“Ready to go,” Joseph said sighing. “Sorry again.” 

“Don’t worry,” he said laughing. “I honestly know the feeling. They left the apartment and went inside Sebastian car. Leslie sat in the back. He was looking around the new vehicle. He touched the leather seats. The older man watched him get adjusted to his car. Joseph snapped in. They began to drive towards Leslie’s school. Joseph thought it was nice of his partner. Once they dropped him off they began to make their way to the station. 

“Thank you,” he said. It was very rare for someone to help him, especially since he had only met Sebastian literally two days ago. 

“I know what it’s like moving around to a new city,” he said looking straight ahead. “You don’t know anyone and it can be hard. Don’t mention it.”

He smiled a little. A little before they arrived to the station Sebastian got a phone call. It was from chief Callahan. He sighed answering it. He put it on speaker. “Hello, Alison,” he said. 

“Don’t hello Alison me,” she said bitterly. Joseph wondered what was wrong. “Guess who has information on our fucking murder.” 

“We are not relying on him,” he said. Joseph was wondering whom they were talking about. “We have new evidence and a candy wrapper.”

She groaned at the other end. “Candy wrapper belonged to the victim,” she said. “No finger prints other than hers. Also, there were no prints on the number. The fucking guy thought of everything.”

“We can work with what we got,” Sebastian assured her. “We don’t need his help.” 

She fell silent. It was weird. Joseph looked at Sebastian a little worriedly. “He called me, Seb,” she said in a calmer voice. “He has information. Seb, as much as I hate to say it, we need that information.” 

Sebastian was now the one being silent. Joseph wondered if he should talk. It was already so heavy in the car. Something was going on and it was clear that it was very bad. 

“Seb, he called me at my home,” she finally said. “I know he is serious when he calls me at my home. Bring Joseph with you.”

“I’m not bringing Joseph,” he snapped. Joseph was now just feeling very awkward. 

“That’s not your choice,” she said in a low tone. “Both of you go now.” 

“How do you know I’m here?” Joseph asked. Sebastian just now realized that. The chief stayed silent. 

“Alison,” Sebastian said. “Are we on a conference call?” 

“Go now,” she said. “That’s my final order.” She hung up. Sebastian groaned. This was not what he wanted to do. He did not want that man to meet Joseph just yet.

“Want to explain what just happened?” Joseph asked looking at the man. Sebastian seemed to tense up. For a brief moment he forgot about his partner being in his car. He cursed out loud before taking a turn down a different road. Joseph looked at him with more concern. “Or you could just ignore me.” 

Sebastian sighed. “Someone has a tip for us,” he said. He was honestly having a hard time explaining that their tipper was a mentally insane genius with his entire body covered in burn scars. Also that genius had horrible experiments that he personally went through and rather never mention his name ever again or even seen that man. Also that he is number three in the list of people calling the Chief Alison. Yeah. That was going to be hard to explain. 

“And why are you so against this?” He asked. Joseph had his eyebrows knitted together with concern. 

Sebastian growled as he considered what the best option would be to explain their informant. “Because it’s going to be a giant headache in the morning,” he said. “For now, let’s just say this person is bad news.”


	4. Hello, Ruben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the crazy bastard we have come to love and adore, along with occasionally fear. Yay!

Joseph looked at the building they had pulled up to. This was not a prison. Not a normal one at least. This belonged to the criminally insane. It was a rather odd place where a potential informant might be. He read the sign above the mental home. Beacon Mental Hospital is what it read. Well he had heard of this place in a brief mention from someone, but he never thought he had any reason to be here. It was just a very odd place to be. 

He then looked back at Sebastian who just had this blank look. His lips were in a straight line and his eyes were wide. Joseph opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. It was like he was trying to grasp what was going on. Sebastian kept staring at him with that same look. Neither of them were saying anything. Finally Joseph had had enough. 

“Why?” He asked. Great. Now he was sounding like Leslie. He did not want to think about Leslie right now. If he hadn’t taken in the poor boy he would end up somewhere else. A place he did not want to think about.

“Our informant lives here,” he said avoiding eye contact. He could tell Joseph seemed done for. 

“He lives here?” Joseph asked in complete disbelief. 

“Yeah,” he said. The younger man sighed. His gloved hands ran over his face. “I know it’s awkward.” 

“That is an understatement,” he said. “How would some lunatic know anything about the murders?” 

“Because he’s that good,” Sebastian said getting out of his car. “Now, let’s get this over with. I did not think that you would get to meet him this early.” 

“What does that mean?” Joseph asked. He followed Sebastian out of the car. The older man did not respond. He sighed as he followed him inside. Once inside he saw a receptionist. She looked up. She was simple looking with brown hair pulled up in a bun and brown eyes. Sebastian approached her. 

He talked with her and she looked at Joseph. She gave him a key. Sebastian motioned Joseph to follow him. The other man followed him, despite how every inch of his body told him not to go wherever he was being led. It was eerie. Walking down the long hallways he had a feeling he was being watched. It was silent. Eventually they came to another door. Sebastian unlocked it. Joseph looked inside to see a woman there looking at security cameras of empty hallways and a single prison cell. 

She turned around to see Sebastian. “Back so soon?” She asked rather surprised by his presence. He nodded his head. “And I see we have someone new. Hello. My name is Catherine.” 

“I’m Joseph,” he said extending his hand. She shook his hand. 

“Now, by the confused look on your face you’re wondering why you’re here,” she said giving a small smirk. “I’ll let detective Castellanos explain that. I’m here as a warning.” 

“A warning?” Joseph asked. 

“Yes,” she said. “Now listen very carefully. Don’t give anything personal away. He has most likely done a background check and only knows the basics. However, he does not know what makes you tick. The important thing is to not let him get inside your head. Don’t look longer than you have to. Don’t stare into his eyes for too long. Don’t give anything away. One more thing to remember is that he can get you to spill your guts. The important thing is to let him do that. Keep on high alert all the time and you should just be fine.” 

“Seb, what’s going on?” Joseph asked the man. 

“Just stay calm, Jojo,” he assured him. “Are you going to let us in?” 

Catherine nodded her head. She undid several locks. The door opened to a long hallway that was barely lit. Sebastian began to walk down the hallways. Joseph noticed that there were no other cells, or at least no other prisoners. It was clear that whoever was down here could not be around any people. It was at the end of hall that they came to a cell that had heavy metal bars holding glass. Joseph really did not like glass. 

It seemed any time there was a villain in a movie was behind a glass prison they always seemed to escape. And the way people were acting it seemed like this man is a villain. Sebastian stopped before they were any closer to the glass cell.

“Don’t mention Leslie, okay,” Sebastian said. “Don’t mention anything more about your personal life. He already knows me and Alison, but you are a clean slate.” 

“Why exactly are we here if this guy is so dangerous?” Joseph asked. 

“Because he can help,” he said sighing. “I hate coming to him, but he can help us to find this creep. Just don’t give away more than he knows.” 

Sebastian began walking to the cell once again. Joseph sighed as he followed him. When they finally arrived he saw the silhouette of a man. He could see him standing there like he was waiting for them. He saw all the scars covering his body. They were burn scars. He then looked at his eyes. Those eyes were soul penetrating. He had to force himself to look away to keep from being hypnotized by them. He clearly looked like he had gone through some trauma. It was horrifying to see this man. Those scars would never heal and it looked like he did not care. 

“Hello, Seb,” the man said to the older man. “So happy you brought your Canadian hot shot with you.” 

“Hello, Ruben,” he said smirking a little. The man seemed to hate that name. 

“Don’t call me that,” he said. He then looked towards Joseph. The Canadian froze in place. This man, that Sebastian called Ruben, was terrifying and he had no idea why. “You must be Detective Oda.” 

“H-how did you know my name?” He asked looking at him. 

“Intense background checks,” Sebastian said. 

“Correct,” the scared man said. Joseph just looked between Sebastian and the man. “Now, how is Alison? She changed her number again.” 

“She’s fine,” he said glaring at him. “I don’t think she likes your calls though.” The man shrugged walking back to his desk. Even how he moved seemed inhuman. “Ruvik, just tell us what you know.” 

“Well, after looking through the evidence file and what you and Oda have found I might have some idea of the type of person you are looking for,” Ruvik said. Joseph began thinking about where he heard that name before. 

“Mind telling us,” Sebastian said. Ruvik scoffed as he sat down. He looked at Joseph. The older man adjusted where he was more in front of the younger man. “Don’t you dare do anything.” 

“I make no promises,” he said. He took a breath. “The man is someone that used to work for me. Kind of like a student. Not very good, but had a knack for cutting people open. However, since you destroyed my little experiment most of the people I trained and worked with are kind of running amuck.” 

“What makes you think it is someone you worked with?” Joseph asked. He began feeling more like himself now that he knew they were talking about the case. “Why not a surgeon or some lunatic?” 

A laugh escaped the man. “Or why not both?” He asked looking directly at him. “He would not take up the practice being a surgeon. No. That would draw too much attention and too much of a risk killing every one of his patients. This student tried blending in for a long time, but has finally snapped. Perhaps he has a good reputation and made a name for himself. Clearly he does not want to be caught.” 

“How do you know it is a he?” Joseph asked. Sebastian looked at Joseph and then back at Ruvik. 

“Generally my female students had variety in whom they killed,” he explained. “They did not have a pattern. However, the male students always preferred woman. And judging by the fact he has been counting means that he is enjoying himself. Making sure it is a perfect crime scene.” 

“Why take the body parts?” Sebastian asked. Even though he knew the answer, it still needed to be said. 

“Trophies, Seb,” he said. “You always need something to remember your murders.” 

“So, you’re saying our murderer has organ trophies in his closet?” Sebastian asked. He pressed his hands against the bridge of his nose. 

“Yes,” Ruvik said in a simple tone. “He looks at them everyday. He’s fucking proud of them.” 

“That’s a little bit of a start,” Joseph said. He took out his black notebook and wrote all of the new information down. He noticed Ruvik watching him with an intense gaze. “So, judging by what your saying is that he has a job with a low profile and is able to slip away easily. Also he is most likely single or not married.” 

“You are smart,” he said. “He’s kind of like Myra. Only maybe not as big of a headache.” 

“Shut up,” Sebastian snapped. “Is there anything else you noticed?” 

Ruvik looked at the two men. “No,” he said turning back around. “Catherine, take them out of here. I’m sure I will be seeing a lot of you two.” 

Sebastian grabbed Joseph’s shoulder and led him back down the hallway. Joseph had to admit meeting that man was a bit haunting. It seemed like there was no human left inside that body. All that remained seemed to be an insane creature. He wondered as to how Sebastian and the Chief Callahan knew him. It was clear that he was the third person that was allowed to call her by her first name. That only sent chills down his spine. He still had the feeling that he had heard that name somewhere in the back of his mind. 

Soon they both came through the heavy-duty doors. Catherine locked them. She looked at Joseph for a second before giving him a small sincere smile. “It takes time getting used to him,” she said. “But once you do he’s kind of harmless.” 

Sebastian scoffed. There was nothing harmless about that man. He was a monster. Nothing anyone said would make the older man change his mind. On top of that he brought up Myra. That was a low blow. Joseph must have so many questions in his head right now. However he looked rather calm taking down his notes. 

“Take care,” he heard Catherine say. “I’m sure I’ll see you two very soon.” 

Sebastian nodded his head as he walked out the door. Joseph waved to her following the man out. After dropping the key back to the receptionist they were on their way back to the station. Joseph looked through his notes, but he was still bothered by the visit. He put the notebook down to talk with Sebastian. 

“What the hell was that?” He asked. Sebastian sighed. He could not talk to him just yet about Ruvik. It brought up so many issues. It not only involved himself, but also Alison. But Joseph was now his partner. He would find out about this man sooner or later. 

He stayed silent until they got to the station. Once there Joseph began to get out of the car. Sebastian grabbed his arm. “Ruvik was an old friend, in a way,” Sebastian said. “But he was not who me, Myra, or Alison thought he was. The Chief does not exactly like to talk about him because of what he did.” 

“What exactly did he do?” Joseph asked looking at him with a concerned look. 

“I’ll tell you one day,” he said letting him go. “Ask Alison if you want, but don’t get me involved. Eventually I’ll tell you the whole story.” 

Sebastian left his car. Joseph looked at the man frowning. Clearly Sebastian forgot that he was borderline genius and a detective. He followed him back inside the place. The thoughts of this Ruvik person kept going through his mind. Joseph looked at the Chief Callahan’s office. She was looking at a picture of something, most likely her family. She took a shaky breath before leaving her office. 

“Oda and Castellanos in my office now,” she said sternly. Sebastian walked in with Joseph not far behind. Once inside he noticed that her phone had bullet holes in it. 

“Are you getting a new phone?” Sebastian asked making the same observation as him. 

“Very funny,” she said. “That bastard got my number again. But, did he give you some leads?” 

“Yes,” Joseph said bringing his notebook out. “I think we can narrow down to a few people that are still in the medical profession. He also mentioned something along the lines that it might be one his students. Not sure what that means.” 

“Means he knows exactly what he is doing,” she said sighing. “Good work. Begin your list of possible suspects. I want to stop this man before victim number five appears.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” both men said leaving the office. Sebastian looked back at the office a little longer than he should have. Joseph hated being in the dark, but he would figure the story out one way or another. Sitting down at his desk with Sebastian’s desk right in front of him he stared at it intensely. There were many mysteries in Krimson and he was now in the center of it. Yeah. This was interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being awesome and for all the comments, kudos, and other such nice thing. I really do appreciate all of the love this fanfic has gotten. And like I said before let me know if you have any questions and if you like the idea of writing little one shots about the life and times of the messed up family in this fic. Thank you again, you beautiful minds!


	5. A Leslie Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An average day for Leslie at school.

Last night was one of the liveliest nights he had ever seen his adoptive father. He laughed, joked, and seemed a little happier than normal. Not that he was never lively around him, but it seemed like the new man made him relax a little. Leslie decided that he was a good man and would never harm his father. He also treated him normally, which was very rare. It was nice having someone else in the house. 

Which is why Leslie slept very soundly that night. He might not be able to process things normally, but even he could see that the two had a connection. Just knowing that Joseph had someone to help him made everything feel better. Leslie always felt guilty that the man gave up so much to adopt him at a very young age. The memory of the mother storming in their apartment to yell at Joseph for the foolish decision for taking in a mentally insane child was easily the most terrifying one. It just made him feel guilty. No matter how many times he assured him that they were family it still did not make anything better. 

However, he loved living with Joseph. It was odd to say that he actually felt normal around him. He did everything to ensure that he was comfortable and made him know that it was safe. But he needed to grow up and stop relying on Joseph to save him all the time. He was trying to get better. He just was not normal. It was hard for him. 

Leslie waited inside the classroom for it to start. He did not have any friends, which was fine. It was better. He could never talk to them normally. He would only be able to listen. He then saw a girl sit beside him. She had long blonde hair and green eyes. She was talking to her friends. He noticed that she looked towards him a little. Leslie looked down at his book. He just wanted class to begin. Then the teacher walked in. He liked his biology teacher. She was pretty, nice, and explained everything perfectly. 

“Hello, class,” she said. Her cheerful voice sounded nice. It was the kind of voice he like, soft and spoken with care. “Today we are going to be discussing parts of the human brain.” A few students gave a disgusted sound. The teacher only smiled. “Now, don’t give me that. The human brain is very interesting. Think about it, all our memories, thoughts, dreams, personalities, and everything that makes us tick is all in one body part.” A few students looked at her as she began to draw a diagram of a brain on the board. “Now, when I was younger, I studied the brain with someone very talented. He told me that to truly understand a human’s emotions and actions one must venture deep inside their subconscious.” 

The teacher turned around to the class. “Now,” she began looking around the class. She pointed at her own head. “Let’s begin to learn about the best organ that makes us tick.” 

 

Leslie was not a fan of biology, but he loved the teacher. Biology was an interesting class itself, but the teacher made the class fun to be in class. He learned a lot. On his way out he expressed his thanks towards the woman and left. A small smile was on her face. Leslie then went to his locker. He opened it up. He hummed a little as he got the books ready for the next class. It was history that was next. He did not mind history, but he sort of liked the teacher. 

The boy made his way to class. He accidently bumped into someone on his way. He backed away and looked up with wide eyes. “S-sorry,” he said. The boy he bumped into was easily three feet taller than Leslie and much more muscular. “I-I’m g-going to class.” He felt relief his fear did not take over and he was talking in sentences that did not make any sense. 

The boy looked at Leslie with very narrow eyes. Leslie tried backing away, but ran into a locker instead. He was scared that the other person would harm him. “You’re the new kid, Leslie right?” He asked. Leslie nodded his head. He wanted to go to class. He wanted to go home. Then the boy flashed him a kind smile. “It’s all cool. Go on to class. I like messing with new kids.”

“O-oh,” he said looking down. He felt a little embarrassed. “See y-you around.” He left the boy. That was not so bad. It was kind of friendly. He came to his class with a little bit o a smile on his face. He liked school for the most part. Being in a place like this was honestly doing him so good. Leslie was able to see how people were in real life and get to socialize more. 

Soon the teacher came into the classroom with a tired expression. Leslie watched in silence as he prepared his lesson. Once the teacher began talk he began to doze off. He tried staying up. He had to or else he would get in trouble. Leslie just did not like sleeping. If he fell asleep he would have nightmares. The nightmares often consisted of re-living the brutal murder of his family and having dreams where he lost Joseph. The thought of being alone was scary. 

Somehow he managed to stay up while the teacher talked about World War II. Leslie sighed as he listened. In this moment he decided he hated history and the teacher. This was going to be a long day. 

After school Leslie waited for the two gentlemen to pick him up. He watched as parents picked up their children. He looked down and played with his hands. Leslie wanted to be normal, or at least talk normally. Suddenly a boy came up to him. He looked up with wide eyes. 

“Hey, Leslie.” The boy said. He was the same person he bumped into. 

“H-hi,” he said. He wondered why he was talking to him. Not many people wanted to talk to him. “W-what do y-you want?” 

“I noticed that you seemed kind of lonely,” he said sitting down beside him. “I thought maybe you could use a friend.”

“F-friend?” Leslie asked. A part of him was excited. This would be his first friend. 

“Yeah,” he said. “You look like you kind of need someone to talk to.” 

“Friend,” he repeated. It felt a little odd on his tongue, but it was a good sensation. “I l-like that.” 

The boy smiled. “I’m Nathaniel,” he said extending his hand. Leslie took the hand and shook it. Then Sebastian and Joseph pulled up to pick him up. Leslie stood up. 

“S-see you t-tomorrow,” he said walking towards the car. He got in the back. Joseph looked back and gave him a soft smile. 

“How was your day at school?” He asked.

“I m-made a f-friend,” he said. Joseph’s eyes lit up. He could tell he was proud of him. 

“That’s great,” he said. He saw the time. “I’m sorry we’re late. Some things came up with the case and now we’re running late.” 

“I-it’s fine,” he said looking down. He did not want to go back to that doctor. He was bad news. They then drove the psychiatrist’s office. Leslie got out of the car. Joseph followed him inside. Sebastian went inside as well. The receptionist was there. She smiled gently at them. 

“Hello, Detective Oda and Leslie,” she greeted with a cheerful smile. “I hate to inform you of this, but I’m afraid Doctor Lenora is currently running late. You can wait outside here for his arrival.” 

“Why can’t we wait in his room?” Sebastian asked. The woman looked over to the new man. 

“Well last time we allowed that one of his patients destroyed his office,” she said. “He will be here shortly.” 

Leslie sat down. He looked towards the office, the very place he hated. He kept thinking about the first visit. He saw something that disturbed him. Something that haunted him. He need to show Joseph. However, it was the fear that was holding him back. Perhaps that is why the doctor did not harm him. Because he knew that no matter what Leslie was obedient. Leslie continued to look at the office, thinking about what he saw. There was a single name he read in a letter that he read that stuck out. He wondered who this man was. He wondered about how those body parts and that name were in common. He wondered who Ruvik is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Chapter five! Woo! Also, our little Leslie has a friend! That can lead to many different possibilities... Anyways, thank you for leaving all the comments and kudos! That means a lot! I do hope you are enjoying the story. Let me know if you have any questions! Thank you for being awesome and amazing! Keep being awesome!


	6. Nothing Will Harm You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian hates waiting, we have a crazy man on the run, and Joseph is a lock picking master!

They had waited fifteen minutes. Sebastian seemed to be losing his patience. It was irritating to wait. The receptionist had left to file some papers in the back. He had half a mind to go in and just wait in his office just to get under his skin. Joseph had stopped him. It was clear that the man did not like waiting. Leslie was shaking badly. He then thought maybe this would be a good time to do a little investigating. He had done serious research on the Doctor Lenora. Nothing appeared in his background check and he had never been arrested a day in his life. The man had graduated at the top of his class and was gifted in this field of study. But if Leslie did not like someone then there was a reason. 

Joseph stood up and came to Sebastian. “Watch my back,” he whispered into his ear. The older man looked at him. “Leslie does not like him and I’m willing to investigate his office. Watch Leslie and make sure the receptionist does not know I’m in his office.” 

“You got it,” he said. Joseph snuck into the office. The door was not locked so he was able to avoid his lock picking abilities. He walked into the office. He heard Leslie getting from his chair to follow him, but he was thankful Sebastian held onto him. 

The detective began looking around the office. It looked like any other office. Pictures of friends, diplomas, and other random things. He looked to see his desk. He opened up one of the drawers. Nothing. Then he opened another one. All fancy pens. Then he came to one and it was locked. He frowned. Taking out his lock picking kit he unlocked it with ease. When he opened the drawer up he saw letters and newspaper clippings. He picked up a letter. It was addressed to a woman. Then he saw some newspaper clippings were of Sebastian and the police. He got up and locked the drawer. 

He then made his way to the bookshelf. He looked through the books. He saw where Leslie would sit while in these sessions. Joseph frowned as he looked at it. Other than a few creepy things in his desk, it all seemed fairly normal. As he was about to leave he noticed something that caught his eye. Right across from where the patients would sit was a wooden wardrobe. It had dark strained wood. He noticed it was locked. Joseph smirked and wondered if people actually thought locks that were easy to crack were safe. He was able to unlock it very easily. 

Joseph opened the wooden wardrobe and his mouth dropped open. Body parts were in there. Perfectly stored and cut. He felt vile, but kept it down. He could not look at this directly. He closed it quickly and locked the awful thing closed. He heard footsteps. There was a second entrance he had not taken in. He quickly snuck away, not wanting to be caught. The detective was positive that he had not disturbed anything or put anything out of place. 

When he came out Sebastian looked at him. He was restraining Leslie and the receptionist still had yet to returned. He looked at Sebastian with raised eyebrows. “Call back up,” he said. His partner looked at him. “I’m taking Leslie out of here. He’s the killer.” 

Sebastian nodded when he called the Chief. Almost within five minutes of calling the police came. The receptionist looked very confused as Chief Callahan walked into the main entrance. She asked if Doctor Lenora had returned and she answered that he would not be in today. Apparently she thought Detective Oda got tired of waiting so she was able to avoid telling him. The Chief of police told the men to go into the office. Sebastian and Joseph walked in. He showed the body parts. Not all of them were there. Alison almost gagged, but kept her composer. She had other officers go to his living residence to track him down. 

She turned to Joseph and Sebastian. “We better catch this psycho,” she growled. Her hands were shaking violently. It reminded Joseph of Leslie when he was nervous or scared. Joseph felt like his stomach would jump out of his body. Sebastian assured him that this man would be caught and brought into justice, however a part of him doubted that. Alison looked at Joseph. She had a calm expression now. “Joseph, you should take your kid home.” He had never heard her sound so soft before. “I wouldn’t want my child anywhere near here either.” 

“Thank you,” he said. Sebastian told her that he would meet the woman at the station. They drove home in complete silence. Leslie looked out of the window. Joseph wished that Leslie was not scared to speak up or even tell him what he saw. The kid just kept so many little thoughts to himself. Joseph at one point managed to get him to at least tell him what was on the boy’s mind, but that all changed when they moved to Krimson City. All because of this once crazy man did that years of work with Leslie feel useless. 

Joseph took off his glasses in the car with a shaky breath. Sebastian noticed this. He knew that Joseph was used to these kinds of cases, judging by his file, but he when it came to the boy it was a different story. By the time they arrived to the apartment building, Sebastian followed them up. He just wanted to make sure that the two were safe. 

Once inside the teenager went into the kitchen. Joseph let out another breath like he had been holding that one in the entire time. Sebastian watched as the younger man ran a hand through his dark hair. His body was tense judging by his back muscles. His clothes always showed off his fit and trimmed body. Sebastian could tell his partner was stressed about this case. He did not blame him. The case was insane. 

“Is there something I can do?” Sebastian finally spoke causing Joseph to flinch a little when he finally remembered that there was someone in his house. He turned around with a little bit of blush forming like he was embarrassed. 

“Uh,” was all that came from his mouth. He then shook his head. “No. I’m just worried.” He leaned against the table, almost like he was trying to keep himself up from exhaustion. “No matter what I try to do Leslie always seems to get into these kinds of situations. Almost like he’s a magnet to everything messed up.” Sebastian looked at the Japanese Canadian with a concerned expression. 

“Aren’t we all?” He asked trying to make his partner feel a little bit better. 

“Leslie more so than most,” he said. Leslie came out of the kitchen with something to drink for both men. They took the drinks before the young teenager ran off to his room. Joseph smiled a little. “That’s why I want to protect him.” 

Sebastian felt like he was looking at himself back when he was young. Back when Myra was still around. Back when he still had his daughter. When she was alive all he wanted to do was to protect his child. She was the light in his life. She was his everything. Then she was gone like everything else in his life. Now he saw Joseph act like this made him was to promise him that no one would harm him or Leslie and that everything would be just fine. 

But he could not make any promises. Unlike his daughter who had a chance at a life and a normal one at that, the younger man had a mentally ill child with a lot more problems in his little head than he could ever imagine. It made him feel bad that Joseph has been raising him alone all these years. Sebastian sighed taking a drink. He frowned realizing it was water. Whisky would make for a better drink. Sebastian wanted to desperately tell him something that would at least calm his nerves, but nothing of the sort came to mind. Instead he placed the glass on the table. 

“I should probably leave,” he said abruptly. Joseph looked at him. “I need to see if they caught the psychopath. Perhaps they caught him. Probably not. Will you be alright?” 

“Yeah,” he said smiling a little. “See you tomorrow.” 

Sebastian smiled back with a wave. He left the apartment. He worried about Joseph. He was dealing with a child that was too scared to speak and had horrible images floating around in his mind. The detective wanted to help this young man. The reasoning behind that might be because he saw a little bit of himself when looking at how much Joseph cared for the boy or it might be because they were partners. The reasoning behind as to why he was so worried about them was still a mystery to the man. 

He took out a cigarette while getting into his car. He called Chief Callahan as he drove back to the station. It rang a few times before she answered it. 

“Any word from the good doctor?” Sebastian asked. 

“It’s a man hunt now,” she answered coldly. It almost sounded like Ruvik speaking through a female body. “I suggest you go ahead and get your ass back to the station. What’s the status on Detective Oda?” 

“Settling down with his kid,” he answered. “Any calls from Ruvik?” 

“No,” she breathed out in relief. “This morning was the only time he called me. Although I wish he could help us track down his student. There is also the unsettling feeling that he called me and not you. Why is that?”

“Maybe he wants you to visit more often?” Sebastian attempted a joke despite how grave everything was. He could feel the roll of her eyes. 

“Just get your ass over here,” she said. “Also, make sure you inform Joseph the status of Doctor Lenora.” 

“Can do. See you soon.” He hung up the phone with a sigh. Out of all the people in this world he had to be the one involved with the most freaks. It just seemed like Detective Castellanos attracted a certain group of people. Still, despite all that, perhaps they can wrap up the case and get another crazy killer off the streets. 

 

The following day Joseph came into the station. He saw Sebastian sleeping at his desk. He walked over to the man and gently shook him away. The older man looked up to see him holding a cup of coffee. The detective took it without question. He smiled up at him. They made a little small talk before their beloved Chief called them into her office. Joseph had learned about the manhunt and that he was still out there. That caused him to worry. He then wondered what the woman would be yelling at them about this time. 

“Both of you have fucking nerves,” she closed the blinds in her office. “Breaking into an office. We did not even have a fucking warrant. Joseph, what the hell were you thinking?” 

“H-how did you know about that?” Joseph asked. 

“Someone sent in a video,” they heard a voice on the speakerphone. Sebastian narrowed his eyes towards the Chief. 

“Why is he on speaker?” He asked pointing to the phone. 

“To listen,” she answered sitting down. The woman looked up at the two detectives. “You two royally screwed up. He had cameras in his office. Doctor Lenora could have seen you break into his office and that is how he got a jump on us.” 

“I had a feeling you were good at lock picking,” they heard Ruvik chime in. 

“You know what,” she began holding up her hands. “I don’t want to know how you learned that skill or why. Something else happened, two of our cops that were guarding the scene were knocked out. No cameras recorded anything and these newspaper clippings of Castellanos are no longer there. Also, we are missing body parts. Where else could they be?” 

“We don’t know,” Joseph answered. Alison looked like a vain was about to pop. 

“Drink you tea, Alison,” Ruvik ordered her on the other end. She did what he said; which was very odd. 

“Fucking pricks,” she said under her breath. “Okay, so, this is how things are going to go. We find this fucking murder before he goes over the border to Canada. Ruvik, stop getting my number. If you aren't going to be useful, then I don't need your words of wisdom. Sebastian, stop making mistakes like this. Joseph, stop breaking into offices. Does anyone have anything else to add?” It became silent in the office. The Chief placed her finger on the end call button. No one said a word. Not even Ruvik. “Good. Goodbye, Ruvik.” 

“Talk to you soon,” he said just as she pressed the button. Both of her lips were pressed together. 

“Joseph, I don’t even think you need to be here,” she said. Joseph was about to protest when she raised her hand. “This is your fault. You broke into his office. I know it was for your kid, but you should have been more rational than that. At this point you are off the case. Do you understand?” 

“I can track him down,” Joseph said. He was not about to give up without a fight. She just shook her head. 

“I don’t care,” she said. “Even Ruvik thinks that it is best you stay away from the case. It’s personal and we don’t need anything happening to you. Just go home for the rest of the day.” 

Joseph honestly wanted to yell at her about how this was not fair. He could help, but he could not say anything to his superior. Instead he nodded his head and walked out of the office. Sebastian followed after him. The younger man leaned against his chair. He kept complaining under his breath how it was not fair. Sebastian placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. It did not help in the slightest, but the thought was nice. 

But all he could think about was the last twenty-four hours. The guards being knocked out and certain objects going missing. It just made no sense and there was no way the man would be able to do that. Everything just did not make any sense. He looked at Sebastian with a worried expression. The man sighed looking at his partner. 

“Joseph, I’m sorry about what happened,” his partner said. “Don’t worry, we’ll catch him.” 

“It’s not that,” he said. “I’m off the case. This is important to me, but now I feel useless.” 

“You’re not useless,” he assured him. Sebastian leaned across the desk. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you in the loop. You might be off the case, but you’re still my partner.” 

“Thanks,” he said. He stood up. “I guess I should go home. I don’t want the Chief to pop a vain.” 

“Take care of yourself,” Sebastian said. 

“I will,” Joseph said leaving the station. 

Sebastian sighed turning around in his chair. This case was starting to get out of hand. Ruvik had become more involved than he should have been, which was never a good thing. Alison hated the man. She was terrified of him, but despite all that she still kept a work relationship with him. Deep down she knew that she needs his help and that made Sebastian worry. Ruvik liked playing with people’s minds and Alison was an easy target for him. Sebastian figured it was his psychiatrist side that could easily pick people about. 

But at the current moment he was more concerned about Joseph. He seemed stressed. He had every right to be stressed. Sebastian had drowned his stress in alcohol. Yet, Alison took notice and put a stop to it. He sometimes wished he could pick up the old habit. Maybe today is a good day for his crutch to make an appearance. 

 

Joseph spent the rest of his day cleaning the apartment. When he went to pick up his son he listened to Leslie tell him about his day. The man liked that the boy was enjoying school life. It was a bit of relief. He seemed to be fitting in, for the most part. That made everything worth all the effort. Just knowing that he was beginning to gain a little bit of a normal life. 

“I-is he still missing?” Leslie asked suddenly. Joseph frowned and nodded his head. The albino sunk lower down in his seat. 

“But he will be caught,” he assured his son. Leslie smiled. They soon arrived to their apartment building. Joseph walked inside the building. Unlocking the door to their apartment he entered. Everything seemed normal. Leslie laid down on the couch. He took out a book. Joseph leaned against the couch. 

“Studying biology?” Joseph asked. 

Leslie nodded his head. “The teacher is nice,” he said. Joseph smiled. He pushed himself off the couch and went to the kitchen to cook dinner. He told himself that everything would be just fine. They would find this man and arrest him. Surely everything would be safe. Yeah. Everything will be safe. Leslie would be safe. Yeah. As long as he kept this attitude he felt like it will… be… fine.

He felt a prick against his neck and began to feel tired. He turned around to see Doctor Lenora hold a needle with clear liquid. He suddenly fell to the ground barely catching himself. He saw the man turn around to pay attention to Leslie. The teenager began to back away from him. Joseph gritted his teeth. No one is going to hurt his son. 

Despite his body becoming number, Joseph got up. He promised himself that nothing would harm Leslie. Joseph brought his already heavy hands up ready to punch the doctor. Clearly he noticed that he was standing because he turned around to see a very angry Oda. “Stay. Away. From. Him.” Joseph punched his face knocking him to the floor. The Canadian felt dizzy, but he had to protect Leslie. He just hoped that he could fight in this condition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! New chapter update! So exciting, isn't? Hope you all enjoy the chapters and the fanfic so far. It has been a lot of fun to write! Do let me know if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask me. I don't bite... Okay. Fine there was this one time, but it was because they were insulting Doctor Who and things got out of control.   
> Either way, thank you for reading, commenting, and the kudos! You all are all amazing and I love every single one of you! Thank you again and I will see you all next Sunday!


	7. Dead End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle with Doctor Lenora and Joseph goes underway. Also, we get to see Sebastian's Chinese food fill apartment.

Sebastian was drinking his coffee before he joined the rest of the police department in hunting for the good doctor. Chief Callahan made some off-handed comment about his coffee habits. Sebastian only brushed it off. He kind wished he followed Joseph home. Better than searching for a missing man. Anything is better than the police station. He kind of wanted to spend time with the little messed up family. 

Surprisingly his phone began to ring. He wondered who it was. He looked down at the caller ID. It was Joseph. He frowned. He wondered if he was going to ask him about the search or if this was just a simple phone call. The man still did not know the Canadian’s calling habits. 

“Hello,” he said. There was heavy breathing on the other end. 

“Help,” he heard Leslie said. “J-Jo-Joseph is in trouble. Help.” 

“Leslie, calm down,” he said sitting up straighter. “Tell me what is going on.” 

“Get your ass over here,” he heard Joseph almost yell with a strained voice. He must have taken the phone from the boy. “Bring back up and paramedics.” 

“What’s going on?” Sebastian asked. He stood up from his desk earning him a few stairs. 

He heard Joseph telling Leslie to get out of the apartment. “Just get your fucking ass here now,” he said. Suddenly the call ended. Sebastian went straight to the Chief. “Something happened. We need back up now.” 

“What happened?” She asked standing up. 

“I’ll explain on the way,” Sebastian said. She rolled her eyes, but called some of her best men and paramedics. Sebastian gritted his teeth. Now he was worried about the two people residing in that apartment. He did not know what was going on or if they were going to be safe, all he knew is that his partner was in trouble and it will be his job to save his sexy Canadian ass. 

 

Earlier 

 

The intruder fell to the floor managing to knock down pictures. Leslie was in the corner shaking very violently. Joseph started breathing very heavily. His entire body was beginning to shut down. It was starting to drive him insane. His right arm was no longer working. This was great. 

Doctor Lenora got to his feet. He seemed angry. “You’re still able to stand?” He asked in such disbelief. “Perhaps it still needs work on males.” He began to stalk over to the detective. Joseph used his legs to kick him down. The man fell flat on his ass. He breathed heavily. He then saw Leslie on his phone. Thank god he was smart. 

Joseph went over to the boy for when the doctor decided to get back up. Everything began to feel dizzy and his room began to spin. He noticed Leslie was shaking and could not get a proper sentence out. Joseph took the phone. “Get your ass over here,” he practically yelled. His voice was no beginning to go. “Bring back up and paramedics.” 

“What’s going on?” Sebastian asked on the other end. Doctor Lenora stood up. He had a knife out. This was great. Joseph turned to his son. 

“Get out now,” he ordered Leslie. He shook his head. He did not want to leave him alone. Joseph groaned. “Just get your fucking ass here now,” he told his partner. His phone was then knocked out of his hands. Joseph got in front of Leslie. 

The doctor attacked them. He cut Joseph’s shoulder. He groaned in pain. Leslie clasped his hands over his ears. There was some fighting between the two men and somehow the man got his mentally ill child out into the hallway in all the confusion and closed the door. Now it was just him and the attacker. He was bleeding and beginning to black out. So far everything seemed to be going great. Joseph tried lifting up his one working arm to get his gun, he did not even know why he did not use it in the first place, but he blamed the medicine the crazy man gave him. 

Once he tried getting the gun he found that he could not use his arms and his legs were beginning to become weak. This could not get any better. Not only was he bleeding, but also he had no use of his arms. The man smirked as he approached the man. “You ruined my life,” he said. The knife shined brightly with little specks of his blood on the blade. One of the doctor’s hands wrapped around Joseph’s neck and began to choke him. “At least before vanish I can kill you.” His fingers began to choke Joseph. 

Joseph kicked him in the stomach causing the knife in the other hand to be impaled in his thigh. Lenora fell down without his shiny weapon. Joseph screamed in pain. Blood was now pouring over his pants and onto the floor. He really hoped that Sebastian would get here soon. He fell to the ground, his body going completely numb. The doctor got up. He smirked thinking that he had won. Joseph began black out. The last thing he saw was the man being shot in the shoulder by an unknown shooter. He was just relieved that someone shot him. 

 

Sebastian looked at Joseph after shooting the man. Two police officers went over to Doctor Lenora and put cuffs on him. Paramedics came inside the apartment and placed Joseph on a gurney. He sighed as he watched him being rushed out of the building. His attention then turned to Leslie. When he came back out to the hallway he saw Callahan watching over him. She tried to assure him that Joseph would be safe. That still did not seem to calm him down. He kept repeating the word help. The woman looked up at Sebastian frowning sadly at him. 

He knew what he had to do. The man kneeled down beside Leslie. The albino looked at him. Every fiber of him was shaking. His eyes had tears in them and he seemed completely terrified. “Leslie, Jojo will be fine,” he said. Callahan gave him a look. It was like she wanted to call him out on referring the younger man as Jojo. It was rather out of character for the man. He normally did not give little nicknames like that. However, she ignored it considering the gravity of the situation. 

“Fine?” Leslie asked looking him in the eyes. 

“Yes,” he smiled. “He’s going to be fine.” A small smile appeared on the boy’s face. 

“He can’t stay here,” Alison said. Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Until Joseph is out of the hospital Leslie needs to be somewhere else. Also this place is a crime scene and we need to clean it.” 

“They can stay with me,” Sebastian said. She gave him that look again. “Just give me a few minutes to gather clothes for the two of them.” 

She looked between Leslie and Sebastian before looking directly at the older man. “You’ve never dealt with a teenager,” she said. Although Leslie was not like other teenagers, he was special. 

“But Leslie trusts me,” he said. 

Alison waved her hand. “Fine. Go get the clothes and anything else quickly.” 

Sebastian helped Leslie up. They went into the apartment. Leslie stopped moving when he saw the blood on the floor. Sebastian nudged him towards the room. Leslie seemed oddly quiet as he gathered his clothes. Sebastian was a bit concerned. It did not take long for Leslie to get his items before getting a change of clothes for Joseph. Sebastian looked at the interior of the man’s bedroom. 

The room was clean and organized, not to his surprise. The bed was queen size with blue covers on it. The furniture was a dark chestnut brown that contrasted with the white on the walls. He saw two pictures. One was of him and Leslie and the other was his family. The frown he already wore deepened thinking about the man. He worried about his partner. This was the first partner he had in roughly two years. Ever since Myra no one would stick with him. He just could not believe that his new partner had a child to worry about and is at the hospital currently. 

Suddenly he was disrupted from his thoughts when Leslie pulled on his sleeves. “Go,” he said in a timid voice. Sebastian nodded. He did not talk much. He helped Leslie get out of the apartment and down to the first floor. Once outside they saw Callahan on the phone. 

She looked relieved while on the phone. She turned to see Sebastian. The woman gave him a thumb up. Now he was confused. Alison hung up the phone and approached the two. “Joseph should be fine,” she clarified. “The drug is essentially a severe pain killer and he just needed a few stitches on his thigh. Should be out tomorrow by lunch.” 

“That’s a relief,” Sebastian breathed out. 

Alison gave a small smile. “But,” she went on to add. “Tomorrow I don’t want this boy out of our sight. He stays with you. Tomorrow we will be conducting a questioning. Understand?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” he lazily saluted. “Well, get some rest. See you tomorrow.” 

“You too, Detect Castellanos,” she left. Sebastian led Leslie to his car. He got inside himself. “Tomorrow,” the man said. The boy nodded his head knowing full well that Joseph would be fine. That was a relief. It would have killed the man if he lost a new partner so soon. Joseph was not a bad person. He did not want to think about if something happened to him Leslie would become an orphan. Thank God he came when he did. 

They arrived to his little apartment. Leslie looked up with wide eyes. Sebastian led him to his place of residence. It was an average looking place. The apartment had a single bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. It smelled of alcohol. He frowned at the smell, but could live with it. Sebastian cursed to himself as he grabbed some take out containers. The boxes were all from the local Chinese restaurant. Leslie found it funny that he really was obsessed with the food. 

He then went to his room. Leslie walked over to the couch. The teenager sat down on the green couch with many different kinds of stains. He grimaced trying not to think about them. Leslie then saw a plaid patterned recliner that looked much better since it did not seem to have any stains. He curled on the recliner thinking about Joseph. He had everything so organized and clean. He thought back when he was younger how Joseph would stay by his bed until he fell asleep. 

Sebastian suddenly came out of the bedroom holding a blanket and pillow. Leslie watched him place it on the couch. Clearly Sebastian was not used to visitors. “I’ll sleep on the couch,” he told his guest. “The food will be here soon.” 

“Chinese?” Leslie asked, though he knew the answer. 

“Uh, yeah,” he grinned a little. He had not been around children, alone, for roughly five years. He was rather awkward. “I’m not much of a cook.” 

Leslie looked over at the kitchen and saw that it hadn’t been used in years. He wondered if he went in there what kind of moldy food would be hidden in there. Then he wondered how this man had survived for so many years. It was clear that he lived off Chinese food and booze, but he was still in great shape and alive. Leslie just looked down with his thoughts buzzing around. 

Sebastian knew this kid was not much of a talker, but it felt like he had a lot going on in his mind. This awkward silence reminded him of when he first spent time with Myra and Alison. Neither of them knew each other. Myra and Sebastian were the locals, but had yet to meet until they became partners. Then there was Alison that had joined them not long after they became partners. Eventually the three of them together became an unstoppable team. Alison became the Chief very soon with her talents. Myra and Sebastian were proud of her and would not want the weight of the entire Krimson City Police Department on their shoulders. The three of them just clicked. However, Myra was no long with him or even here. Alison was the only friend he had left. 

Which is why he was surprised that he got along with Joseph so quickly. Just something about the younger man made him get along with him so well. Suddenly the door knocked. Sebastian grabbed his wallet. He opened the door, greeting the deliveryman and knew him by name. Sebastian paid the man and closed the door. He turned around to see Leslie still looking at him with big eyes. Those eyes were just full of innocent emotion. It was kind of sad to see them. However, he had no doubt that Joseph took good care of it. Which brought on another issue is that if Ruvik ever had the chance to talk with the boy he worried about what would become of him. However, that would never happen. He would never allow Ruvik anywhere near the boy. 

For now he smiled, trying to ease him. “Let’s eat,” he said approaching his silent houseguest. This was going to make for an interesting night. 

After dinner, Leslie settled into Sebastian's bed. The boy was curled up in a ball. Sebastian had check up on him before he closed the door and went into the living room. He poured himself a drink. This was his first drink in about a week. He thought he was doing pretty good, but with the stress of this case he felt like he needed the drink. He took one sip before lying down on the couch. He began to feel numb to the world. Drinking never affected his work. Besides, he just wanted the world around him to vanish. 

 

Meanwhile 

 

Doctor Lenora was in a cell. His wounds had been tended to and now he was going to be questioned by the police. He never thought he would get caught. All thanks to that mental patient. If it weren’t for him then the detective would never have snuck into his office then he would not be forced to attack an officer and get shot. All of this trouble because of some albino child. He leaned his head against the wall of his cell. 

This child is the one at fault. Leslie Withers-Oda is a messed up human being if he ever did see one. The tragedy he had seen and the life he's lived has caused so many things to snap. Yet, despite the fact that Joseph had taken care of him, he still was very messed up child and nothing would fix him. He laughed at that thought. Living with a child that is doomed to live his life in misery. 

“I’m not happy,” a serene female voice said. He looked at his cell to see a woman wearing a black hooded jacket and a tight pencil skirt. It was an odd combination. “You fucking screwed us.”

“I’m not going to rat any of the rest of you out,” he said. He could not see who the woman was, but he noticed her shaking her head. 

“You needed my help,” she spat out. “Your fucking obsession and the papers our master had given us would have been discovered if it were not for me. Honestly, you were always the most careless. That’s why Ruvik cut you out from his projects.” 

“Favorite,” he said bitterly. He looked at. He knew that many of Ruvik’s old students were not left. He thought back to when one of them mysteriously died. Lenora remembered Ruvik yelling at one student for killing another. “You’ve killed a student before, haven’t you?” 

“Only when a weak link is spotted,” she replied. The man then remembered his time how a grad student that had studied anatomy mysteriously died. No one was certain who killed the student, but nothing was left behind. Then there was another student that vanished that was found in a lake. And he remembered Ruvik yelling or praising this one student because he made it so that their faces and real names were kept secret, but she found out whom they all were. This woman was dangerous. “Right now I see one. Ruvik surely wouldn’t mind if I killed you.” 

Her heals clicked as she came closer. “What about cameras?” He asked panicking a little. “There will be evidence.” 

The woman tilted her head in confusion. That is when Ruvik appeared behind her. He scooted further back into his cell by his sudden appearance. The woman walked towards him. Her body slipped through the cell bars. “That won’t happen,” she whispered. He could see her clear hazel eyes clearly. “Because you’re asleep.” 

The doctor then woke up with a loud gasp. He cursed himself for falling asleep. STEM was the root of insanity. He wondered if he had not gone through that awful device that maybe he would not be connected to these people. Doctor Lenora just wondered what Ruvik or that woman had in mind for his demise. He only hoped that he would be able to fall asleep. 

 

The next day Leslie was hugging Joseph from the hospital’s entrance. The young man was hugging him back running a soothing hand down his child’s back. He looked at Sebastian with an expression that said thank you for taking care of the boy. The man just waved it off since it was nothing. He would have done the same thing for Alison, if she was single and had no one to take care of her son. But for some reason he felt like he only wanted to help Joseph. He shrugged that off as just being worried about his partner. 

Sebastian explained to Joseph how the two would be staying with him until the crime scene was picked up and was no longer in use. He understood. They then went to the police station. Alison was looking through security footage. Sebastian and Joseph looked at each other. Leslie was just looking at all the busy people. Sebastian called over an officer, Connelly, to watch over the boy. The two detectives walked over to their Chief. She looked furious. Joseph figured this would be a regular occurrence. 

“He’s dead,” she said not looking away from the tapes. “Also, in that box over there are the hearts of his victims that were missing. They were dropped off here early this morning.” 

“What do you mean he’s dead?” Joseph asked. 

“I mean,” she turned around to face him. “He had no outside wounds, but he’s fucking dead.” 

“You don’t think…” Sebastian trailed off. He could only think of one person that could kill someone in his or her mind. 

“I don’t know,” she said. “But he has no reason for him to be dead.” 

“Where’s the body?” Joseph asked. He wanted to look the body over just to ease him mind for some reason. 

“Morgue,” she said. “Sebastian, go with him.” 

Sebastian grunted in response. The two went down to the morgue. They saw a young blond looking over the body. His hair was slightly curly and he had bright green eyes. He looked to be about Joseph’s age. He smiled at the two of them when they approached. He introduced himself as Conner. 

“He fell from a twenty story building,” he said simply. The two detectives looked at him. “He had walked in his sleep, onto his bed, and fell twenty stories. The brain damage is all their, but none of the nasty and brutal side effects. Just splat on the imaginary sidewalk.” 

Joseph looked at the body. He had experience with anatomy and could navigate through the body easily. He could see that due to the brain activity of his body reacted violently, but it was not like jumping off a physical building. The body seemed in perfect condition except minor things. There was nothing else to go on. A part of him was very happy about the man dying in his sleep because then Leslie would no longer have to worry about him. But there was another part. 

The part that told him that there was something going on and he did not like it. Sebastian nudged for him that it was time to go. They would be asking Leslie some questions, if they could get anything out of the shy kid. He thanked the coroner for his assistance and left. Leslie was reading through a book while sitting in Joseph’s chair. He felt a strong sense of relief. Leslie was safe. After this questioning everything had a chance to return to normal. Maybe now they can both move on with their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG! Thank you all for the comments, kudos, and reads. It means a lot to me! Seriously, you guys are amazing and it makes me want to keep up this fanfic even more than I already do now. You guys are the best! Like I always say, if you have any questions don't worry about asking me.  
> Side note-do you think I should expand a little on this universe? Such as writing in cute little holiday fics or something like that? Just let me know!  
> Thank you again! I do hope that you are enjoying this fic as much I am! Keep being awesome and you! Love all of ya!! See you next Sunday!


	8. The Other Oda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph's older sister makes an appearance, but with some strings attached.

It had been exactly one month since the whole incident with the crazy doctor killing prostitutes. Joseph had made a recovery and Leslie seemed to be doing better. He often said that it was the most exciting thing to happen to him and Leslie. Sebastian seemed to agree with that statement. It seemed that their first month had an interesting start. However, now that things appeared calmer it seemed like Sebastian and Joseph were two completely different detectives. Alison often joked that it was the true bad cop and good cop. Sebastian was the brutal muscle that the prisoners would often spill their guts to and Joseph was the more strategically person making them feel as though they can trust him.

This worked in the two partners favor. Which is why around the beginning of the second month since meeting each other, they had formed a friendship. Sometimes Joseph would get onto Sebastian for being too reckless. He would simply just wave it off, as it was nothing. This would often make Joseph roll his eyes. The man just loved to irritate him. Even despite their differences it seemed like they could work together like a proper team. Leslie seemed to enjoy Sebastian’s company at their house. 

Everything seemed to be going well for the past two months. Sebastian had heard nothing from Ruvik much to his, and Alison’s, relief. It began to feel like everything was starting to become at least a little normal. Of course, this was Krimson. The city seemed to attract all the murderous freaks. Which kept the police department busy. However, there were some days when Joseph wished that is all he had to deal with. 

It was a Saturday afternoon. Joseph was unlucky enough to be working. Leslie was at home curled up in his bed sleeping soundly when he left. It was good that he was actually sleeping now. For years it seemed like the young boy could hardly sleep two hours and would have dark circles under his eyes. This made him feel better about leaving him. Sebastian came out of Chief Callahan’s office after chewing his ear out over the latest taste. 

Joseph gave him a look that told him he was right. “I told you so,” he said smirking a little. In a recent case Sebastian did some things that were rather frowned upon and Joseph had warned him, but in the end he did not listen. “Perhaps next time you’ll listen to me before breaking a windshield.” 

“We caught the guy,” Sebastian said sitting down. The younger man only rolled his eyes. 

“You attacked the guy in broad daylight,” Joseph said. Sebastian shrugged. He looked at his coffee. “Needs more sugar.” 

“Weirdo,” Joseph said. He was looking through some files. 

The older man was about to say something to his partner when he spotted white hair coming through the door. He was rather surprised to see the boy here. He wondered if he got a cab. He turned to Joseph. “You’re kid is here,” he said. Joseph looked up from his work to see Leslie. His mouth then dropped. Walking behind the boy was a petite woman. She wore a gray pantsuit with a blue shirt. Her black hair was cut short to her cheekbones with severe bangs. Her hazel eyes seemed to be looking for something. Sebastian thought she looked like Joseph. She looked Japanese.

Leslie then turned to Joseph and smiled brightly. The woman did the same walking over to the two detectives. Joseph was speechless. Sebastian just looked between the woman and his partner. The young teenage boy seemed to like the woman, but Joseph on the other hand to seemed very upset by her presence. 

“Jojo,” she said cheerfully. The man groaned. 

“Nice to know I’m not the only one who calls you that,” Sebastian said. 

“Don’t call me that,” Joseph said. “Mai, what are you doing here?” 

“Can’t I see my younger brother?” She asked sitting down on a small chair beside his desk. “So, this is Krimson City police department.” 

“Yeah,” he said. Sebastian was enjoying this a little too much. “Why are you here?” 

“Well,” she began looking at her finely manicured hands. “I think you have finally settled down and I haven’t seen my nephew in a few months. Can’t I visit my brother?” 

“You can,” he said. His eyes narrowed. The two siblings were curious about over to his partner’s hysterical expression. Sebastian was honestly getting such a kick out of this interaction. “But, you want something.” 

“What? No,” she said. Joseph noticed Leslie was wearing a new hoodie. His eyebrow rose up. She just smiled in the most innocent way possible. “Fine. I need your help.” 

“There we go,” Joseph said. 

“I seriously need your help,” she said. “My client is a very wealthy woman, on her own accord. However, her husband was found murdered. All evidence points to her doing, but I don’t think she committed the murder.”

“What is the woman’s name?” Sebastian asked. Mai looked over at him. 

“Anita Winters,” she said. “The woman is known for her murder mystery novels. At the time of the murder Mrs. Winters and her husband were going through a heated divorce, so one might imagine that she killed him. But, despite all the evidence that is targeted towards her, she claims to have nothing to do with the murder. She has no alibi for time of the murder, so that makes her case a lot harder to believe.”

“She’s got to be guilty,” Sebastian said. Mai turned her gaze into a glare. “If all evidence points to her then she has to be guilty. She’s fooling some young lawyer like you.”

“Did I mention she is a very wealthy woman?” Mai asked. “She can afford any lawyer she wants and believe me, I am not cheap.” 

Sebastian was about to respond to the young woman. Joseph shot him a look to shut his mouth. “So, because she hired you, you think she is innocent.” Her younger brother said. 

“No,” she said. “Mrs. Winters told me everything up until the murder took place. I believe her. She is not lying to me. Please, I need your help.” 

Joseph shook his head. It was not his business to be involved in this sort of thing. “This is not my job,” he said. “This does not even concern me. It’s not my case.” Mai looked distraught. 

She was the oldest and always used to getting her way. Mai Oda has been persuasive and getting Joseph to help her. However, this was his life. He owed her nothing. She could not possibly guilt trip her into helping her with this case. However, this was a look that he had never seen on her before. Yes she can be chipper and preppy along with being cold and terrifying. Mai had never looked so distraught in her life. 

“I need your help,” she said. “I helped you with getting Leslie. Why can’t you help me prove this woman’s innocence? If I fail this case I loose my job. This will make or break me.” 

“You’re already a successful lawyer, why would this possibly destroy your career?” Joseph asked. 

She took out her phone. Her fingers worked quickly on the screen of the phone. Once she was done the Oda showed the screen to her brother. It was she in an interview with a popular news reporter. Mai was talking about the case. During the interview she said that the woman was innocent. He then saw that she went as far as to saw that Mrs. Winters would be proven innocent and she gambled her reputation on it. Joseph looked at her with wide eyes. 

“What the hell did you do?” He asked. “You gambled your lively hood with the instinct that this woman was innocent?” 

“You did the same,” she said glaring at her brother. “I’m asking you to help me with this one case. Please, Joseph.” 

He looked at his sister for a little bit. “I’ll think about it,” he said. Mai smiled brightly and hugged him. “But that is not a yes.” He added. Her breasts pressed into his face. Sebastian laughed. 

“Thank you so much,” she said. Her smile lit up the room. It was rare she ever smiled. “Just let me know. I’ll see you for dinner. Also, I’m taking my nephew shopping.” 

“Okay,” he said. She stood up. Leslie followed behind her. 

“She’s not going to eat with us, is she?” Sebastian asked. Joseph nodded. Detective Castellanos groaned. “I think she hates me.” 

“She hates everyone,” he assured him. Sebastian laughed a little. He had no idea what the Oda family was like, but clearly the family was full of inelegant people. Then he began to think as to why Joseph became a detective and came into custody of a mentally imbalanced child. The Oda family was certainly a mystery. 

 

Joseph was back in his house. Leslie was helping him cook dinner. Sebastian would be coming by in a few minutes. Ever since Leslie’s little sleepover and him temporarily staying with the man was there a concern as to the tremendous amount of Chinese food that littered his apartment and how he was amazed that his partner was even still standing with remarkable shape, Joseph had been inviting him every weekend for dinner that was healthy. It was kind of a nice tradition they had. Leslie seemed to enjoy it a lot. 

Tonight they were having grilled chicken with seasoned vegetables. Leslie was setting up the table. They had added a fourth table placement for when Mai arrived. Sebastian knocked on the door. Joseph answered the door. 

“Hey,” he said. “I brought some cake.” 

“This was supposed to be a healthy dinner,” Joseph said adjusting his glasses. 

“Let me live a little,” he said smirking. He came inside the apartment. Leslie greeted him with a smile. 

“Sebastian,” he said. 

“Hey,” the man said smiling a little. The kid was kind of adorable. 

“Dinner is almost ready,” Joseph said from the kitchen. The door knocked. “Can you get that?” 

Leslie answered the door. Mai was there wearing something more casual. She was wearing a dark pair of jeans and a floral print shirt. She smiled towards the young boy, but frowned when seeing Sebastian. “Why are you here?” She asked. 

“Healthy dinner,” he said simply. Leslie backed away slowly sensing the tension. Joseph then came out of the kitchen. 

They all sat down around the table. Mai began talking about the case with Joseph. He listened, but tried to keep her silent about it. Despite all the evidence pointed towards her, it appeared that even Mrs. Winters believed she was innocent. However, tonight was not about cases. Instead, Joseph tried talking about lighter things. Sebastian began to talk about him and Joseph working together. Mai seemed to like the stories of the past couple months. The way the man talked about the younger man it seemed like he perfectly understood how Joseph thought and acted. It was hilarious to hear these stories. 

After dinner they relaxed in the living room eating cake. Mai told a story about when they were younger how Joseph brought home a kitten he found in an ally and hid it from his parents. He was able to keep it hidden from his parents for at least two weeks. After finding out about the kitten they just decided to keep it. Joseph took care of the cat until the day it died. 

Sebastian laughed way louder than he should have. It just seemed so much like Joseph. The younger man blushed and his face. “Oh, it’s not so bad,” Sebastian said. 

“It’s embarrassing,” he said. He looked at Mai. She had never seemed so relaxed, despite the fact that she would always glare towards Sebastian every now and then. 

“Have you thought about the case?” Mai asked. Joseph nodded his head. 

“I’ve done my own research,” he said. Sebastian knew where this was going. “Chief Callahan says that it is within our jurisdiction and that I can investigate. So, I’m on the case.” 

“Oh thank you,” she said jumping up and giving her brother a hug. “You’re the best younger brother ever.” 

“You did help me get Leslie,” he said in a low voice. Sebastian took this, as he would be assisting the man on the case. 

“I’ll be over tomorrow and we can discuss the case,” she said standing up. 

Joseph just smiled as a reply. He looked over at Sebastian. The man only shrugged his shoulders. He stood up. “It’s late,” he said walking towards the door. “See you tomorrow. Take care, Leslie.” With that he walked out the apartment. Soon Mai left to stay in her hotel. Leslie went to bed. He curled up in a little ball. He smiled at the young boy. Taking off his glasses, he wondered into his room and fell on the bed. 

He looked up at his ceiling. Everything was so silent when it was late. All that was left were his thoughts. He was happy that for the past two months things had been calm. However, with this case he was worried. His sister’s reputation was going to be put on the line. Being involved in family cases was so troublesome. That is why he avoided them. Closing his eyes, he decided that sleep was the best idea. His phone then rang. He thought it was his sister. 

When he put on his glasses he saw it was an unknown number. He frowned. Joseph decided to ignore it at first. It stopped. The Canadian closed his eyes. Then the phone rang again. He was fed up with this unknown number. He decided to answer the call. 

“You do know how late it is,” he said. At this point he was very irritated. 

“You’re sister is certainly a brave woman,” a familiar and eerie voice said. “Perhaps I can be of some assistance.” Joseph shot up from his bed. Eyes wide with fear. 

“How did you get my number?” He asked. The man went to check on Leslie. For some reason he felt like his life was in danger.

“Not hard,” he said. “But, I can help. Come by if you desperately need me. Sweet dreams.” He hung up. Joseph sighed looking at his sleeping child. He decided there was only person he needed to call in order to calm his nerves. 

Listening to the ringing, the phone was finally answered. “Seb,” he said. “He got my number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RUVIK IS A DICK!!!!!!!! Seriously! Such a dick, but we love him! I do anyways. I don't know about you peeps. Also, Joseph is the youngest in his family. Mai is the oldest of the Oda siblings. Little Jojo is the baby! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry if it was not exciting like it should be, but setting up the next case!   
> Thank you all for reading this fic! You guys are amazing! I mean, seriously, you guys are the best! Love each and every one of yo faces! Thanks for the kudos, comments, and overall reads! And like always, ask questions if you would like to. See you all next Sunday! Keep being amazing!!!!!   
> Side note: I will soon be setting up the Our Messed Up World series. It will consist of little fics that A. I can't add in this fic because they won't fit or B. Consist of any ideas either you guys suggest or just pop into my head that would be in this fanfic. So, keep your eyes out for it! Thank you all again!


	9. Time To Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph contemplates telling Sebastian on how he ended up adopting Leslie.

Sebastian always had the urge to beat in Ruvik’s face. It had always been in his being since the day he met the insane genius. Everything about that man irritated him. There was just something that Ruvik had. Despite the fact they used to be allies at one point, it seemed like he just could not wait to give him a good punch in the face. At this point Ruvik should thank his insanity that glass and security cameras protect him. 

Last night that man called Joseph. It was not like a call to Alison or him, but a call to a man that he had only met once before. He could tell that he seemed uneasy when he spoke. The man was worried about Leslie. Sebastian ended up coming to his apartment. Not because Joseph wanted him to, but because he was worried about Joseph and Leslie. He felt like it was his job to ensure they were safe. For the first time since Myra and Lilly it felt like he had something worth protecting. He could not risk Ruvik messing with them. 

Which is why he was lucky that a cell separated the two of them. Sebastian stood there steaming in front of that glass jar. Ruvik was looking at him with a dead expression. Two months since they have seen Ruvik and he decides to call Joseph. Everything about him unsettled him more and more. Joseph was down there with him. Ruvik especially unsettled him more this time than the first time he met him. Just him calling his phone caused him to feel unsettled. Sebastian warned him not to reveal Leslie’s existence, but the fear he found out about his son was still there. 

“Ruvik you bastard,” Sebastian yelled. The man just kept the same expression on his face. 

“I was merely offering my.... assistance,” he said. His eyes then went to Joseph. “Which my offer still stands. I’m familiar with your family and your sister is a brave woman.” 

“I don’t want you near my family,” Joseph snapped. Ruvik calling him had much more of an effect on him than he originally thought.

“Afraid your sister will suffer a mental break down?” Ruvik joked. Joseph would not have any of his jokes. “I was being serious about assisting your sister.” 

Joseph shook his head. He wanted nothing to do with Ruvik. After his first case with Sebastian he had done some research into Ruvik. The files were hard to access, but he eventually found them. He was at a point a genius. Gifted with many talents such as the ability to understand the human anatomy. Then a fire happened where he became horribly scared and disfigured. He could not find any information about as to why he was arrested or what exactly happened. All he knew that this man was bad news and that he should be as far away from him as possible. 

“I assure you that we will not be needing your help,” he said adjusting his glasses. Ruvik turned his attention to a furious Sebastian and then went back to Joseph. 

“You do realize everything has gone cold,” he said. “The mistress that he was having an affair with could have been blamed, however, she was found dead recently from an overdose. Now, how could you possibly find new leads?” 

Joseph was about to respond, but Sebastian spoke first. “We’ll find them,” he said. “All you have to do is stay in your little bubble.” 

Ruvik glared at the two detectives. He wished that they were in his world. He could easily kill them or torture them until they finished themselves off. However, he is stuck here in this cell. He had limited resources to pry into other minds and limited number of people that have been through STEM. He then noticed Joseph looking down at his phone. His eyes widened. 

“Shit,” he said silently. “Leslie.” 

Leslie. That was a name he had heard somewhere, but could remember. He looked at Detective Oda hoping that if he stood still that he would forget his existence. 

“I need to pick him up,” he said. His eyes then landed on the man narrowing his eyes. He just realized he said his son’s name out loud. This is very bad. He looked at Sebastian as if the man could change what just came out of his mouth. 

Sebastian picked up on his distress. “We don’t need your help,” he said walking away with Joseph following behind him. 

“Do I not get the pleasure of meeting him as well?” Ruvik asked, as they got further away. They were now out his sight. The man glared at the cameras. He turned to his desk. He would find out who Leslie was and as to why he did not know sooner. A smirk appeared on his face. This would be fun. 

Joseph came to his car breathing heavily. “Fuck,” he said. “I can’t believe I did that. It’s people like that is why I keep him a secret.” 

Sebastian grabbed his shoulders. He tried calming him down. “He has no power over Leslie. Leslie won’t even meet him,” the detective said. The man looked at him. His eyes told him that everything: the stress about protecting this child and knowing that Ruvik now knew about his weakness. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to that kid.” 

Joseph gave a small smile. “Thanks,” he said. Sebastian released him from his grip. 

“So, something has been brothering me,” he said as Joseph got into his car. He looked at him. “How exactly did you decide to adopt Leslie?” 

The man faltered for a little bit. “Maybe I’ll tell you some time,” he said getting in. He started the car and drove away from Beacon Mental Hospital. Joseph looked back to see Sebastian get into his own vehicle. “Maybe.” 

 

Sebastian walked into his apartment. He looked at all the trash and takeout containers. Then he spotted a picture of him and Myra with their child. It was a time he wanted to return back to. Myra always made things better. She could handle situations like this. However, she made her decision. Myra left and vanished without a trace. Even if he could find the woman he was not entirely sure if she even wanted to be with him again or if he could forgive her. 

Picking up some trash he kept replaying the look on Joseph’s face. He looked like he had been hiding as to why he decided to adopt the albino child. There was just so much about Joseph’s life he did not know. Despite working with each other over the past few months it was odd they still did not truly understand who each of them were. Sebastian just did not understand the man. They worked well together, but other than that Joseph Oda was a complete mystery. Clearly his sister was a huge part of the adoption process, but there was still so much unsaid. 

His phone then rang. He noticed it was Alison. “Hello, Chief,” he said lying on the couch. He grabbed a drink. 

“Seb, I want to discuss with you about the case you and Oda are doing,” she said. Sebastian groaned. Joseph and him have yet to do any major investigating into the case and he was sure as hell not going to be left alone with his sister. 

“What about it?” He asked sitting up straight. 

“Well,” she began. “Everything points towards the woman. DNA samples were found on both bodies, she has no alibi, and there are several other factors that would make finding evidence to where she is innocent hard.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” He asked feeling like this is leading to something very bad. 

“Honestly you have no shot proving her innocent,” she said. “I just don’t want you and Joseph to put your lives in danger for this woman. We can’t loose men like you and Joseph can’t leave behind his kid.” 

“I understand,” he said. He then thought that Alison did not know about Leslie. “Alison, have you always known about Leslie?” 

“Yes,” she said. “I met with Joseph privately before he arrived here. He explained how he had ensured that Leslie’s personal files along with the adoption papers were hard to access. He also discussed with me his mental state.” 

“I see,” he said. “Well, don’t worry. Jojo and I will be safe. Promise.” 

“Good,” Alison said with a sigh. “Talk to you soon.” She hung up. 

Sebastian stared at his drink. He took one more sip. Then he heard his door knock. The older man grunted as he stood up. Opening the door he saw Joseph standing outside. He looked at the time. It was still a decent hour. Sebastian opened the door. He sat Joseph looked stressed. Sebastian looked at him for a few minutes before he spoke. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked. The first thoughts were that it was involving the case. But the way he looked at him said that was certainly not it. 

“You should know how I decided to adopt Leslie,” he said. “Can I come in?” Sebastian moved to the side. The Japanese-Canadian came inside. 

“Have a seat,” Sebastian offered. He saw the look of disgust on his clean and pressed partner’s face. He smiled a little thinking that his partner would never truly get used to the messed up state of his apartment. It was a little funny seeing that expression on his partner's face “Ignore the mess. Why have you decided to tell me about this now?” 

“Because we work together,” Joseph said. “And now that Ruvik knows about Leslie he will more than likely have a better way to search for his background. I just thought since you’ve helped out so much that you deserve to know.” 

“If you don’t want me to know, then you don’t have to tell me,” Sebastian said. Joseph shook his head. 

“No,” he replied. “I have to tell you. Besides, we are partners. We should really know how to about each other.” 

“Alright,” he said. Sebastian sat on the couch leaving with Joseph to sit on the less stained chair. He sat in it very awkwardly. Perhaps it was very hard for the man to open up to people. Joseph ran his hands through his hair and then taking off his glasses. 

“It all started when I first became a detective,” he began. “It was actually was one of my earliest cases."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm sorry. Short chapter guys. But next week is a big one because it will be a two parter! You'll finally see how our little biscuit got into the care of one Joseph Oda! Again, sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted some Ruvik action and just setting up for the next two chapters! Anyways, thank you guys so much! You are all the best! Like always, if you have any questions ask. Thank you for the reads, comments, and kudos!   
> And a final note, I have started the Our Messed Up World Series! The first fic that is up is called Father's Day Mishap. Check it out if you love Leslie and Joseph fluff! Thank you!


	10. Shit Happens-Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past is a key to understand the present. In this first part we get to know a little about the young Joseph and his partner, along with meeting a certain cute albino.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is two parts! The first half is getting it started! Right after I post this chapter I'm posting the next since I was a jerk last week and you guys deserve it!

Joseph walked into his precinct. He was one of the youngest detectives here. The Chief always praised him for being the pride of Jonesborough police department. The young man would always respond that it was just his job and want to get it done. However, the man would hear none of that. After being a cop Joseph knew that being a detective was his ideal job. Once he passed the exams he was the newest detective in the precinct. The older detective in charge of him was Tina Williams. 

She honestly hated her name that her parents gave her. But then again she went by many different nicknames. Now that Joseph was a rookie it was her job to ensure that the Oda was properly trained. Joseph respected the woman. Her track record was amazing. She was even one of the most stunning women in the police station. She had long red hair that was often kept up and bright green eyes. This woman was the person that taught him everything. 

Which is why he was excited when their Chief told them about a case. It was his first real case. Since becoming detective he had gotten easy cases, but nothing like this. He had yet to know the details, but he was truly excited to solve the mystery ahead. 

He was in the passenger side of Tina’s car. Her hair was in a ponytail with the bangs still in her face. She looked over to the younger man with visible excitement on the young detective’s face. It was his first real case. He has had cases, but nothing like this. “Jojo,” she began. “Don’t get too excited. I know this is a big case, but you have to be professional.” 

“Right,” he said turning serious. “I’m sorry. I supposed it’s a nice change from the typical cases I work on.” 

“It's fine,” she said. “I was young once… Roughly a hundred years ago.” Joseph laughed. She would often joke about her age. Considering how young she always looked she found it fun to do vampire jokes. However, she was in her early thirties. She was no longer the young detective people always took her for. 

“Tee, what exactly are we investigating?” He asked narrowing his eyes. He knew it was a murder, but there was something more. 

The woman stopped at a light and sighed. “Last night an entire family was murdered,” she sadly informed him. “I told the Chief that this case was not a good one for you, but he insisted. It has to deal with a serial killer. The killer targets families, but we have yet to find a pattern.” 

Joseph frowned feeling all his excitement leave his body. He had no idea that they were investigating this type of case. He had read about it in the paper, but the very idea that they will be investigating this case. That disturbed him to no end. An entire family. He wondered who would be that cruel. 

They soon arrived to the crime scene. The sun was shining, which was rather ironic considering the circumstances. Police cars surrounded the place. People watched from a distance and children were being ushered away. He saw the door was wide open as people kept going in and out. The lights were almost blinding, but the two parked their car beside a police vehicle. A police officer approached them. Joseph watched as her look of playfulness turned into a stern expression. It aged her dramatically. Normally her eyes and smile made the woman appear younger than she is she. Yet, the way her eyes narrowed it looked like she was the age she belonged in. 

Tina got out of the car first with Joseph following not long behind her. The police officer gave the details of the night and how the call was made. Apparently a friend of the child had mentioned that they never had their sleepover. The parents called the house, but there was no answer. One of the parents came to the house only to find the bloody mess. 

Tine frowned as she walked up to the house with a young rookie behind him. He felt his stomach sink further and further down. Everything about this felt like it was a part of a nightmare. Tina walked in without stopping. Joseph on the other hand was different. He was terrified to find out what could be in that house. He had seen pictures of brutal murders and heard about them. Being here was a different story, however. 

The innards had been removed and were displayed about. They looked like they had been stabbed roughly thirty times each, but it was hard to tell. Joseph felt sick to his stomach. Gagging, he tried not to expose his breakfast at the crime scene. Tina noticed this and rushed him outside quickly. He did not throw up, but took several heavy breaths. Tina watched as he took off his glasses. She muttered something under her breath before talking to him directly. 

“Joseph,” she said. He looked up at her. “If you can’t keep your waffles down then just leave.” 

“I can…” 

“No you can’t,” she said harshly. "This is a part of the job. Seeing scenes like this is normal. If you can’t keep your gag reflex under control then you might as well wait in the car.” 

Joseph took a gulp. This was a part of his job now. No matter how gruesome a scene would be, he would face it head on. “I’ll be fine,” he straitened up. He walked back inside the house. He looked over the scene again. This time he looked at it with a more calculating eye. Forensics informed them that the entry was forced and came from the parents’ bedroom. It appeared that everyone in the family was tied up and tortured. Joseph felt like the room was spinning. He could not fathom as to why someone would kill an entire family. Four victims had a brutal death. Two of them being children. 

Tina looked around the bodies. She saw that they sat in a circle and the weapons were left in the middle like the last couple murders. She muttered something under her breath again. Most likely about something on how the person is a sicko. Joseph took out his black notebook and began writing little things he saw. 

Tina put on some gloves and began to touch the bodies to inspect the wounds. Her eyes scanned over them carefully. “Joseph, look around the house. See if there were any signs of struggle or maybe something else.” She ordered not looking up from the corpse. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he said leaving the living room. He was personally very happy to be leaving that awful place. However the rest of the house was not any better. Blood splattered on the walls. Someone did struggle. He came to one of children’s rooms. Opening the door he saw that it looks like the child was taken from the room in their sleep. Joseph looked around for a little longer until he decided to look at all the other rooms. He looked through the other child’s room and there was nothing much different. 

Joseph went into the bathroom. He opened the cabinets to find numerous medicines. He made a note about the different medications to ask his sister about since she had knowledge in the medical field. After checking the parents’ room he went back to Tina. He saw the family being stuffed inside body bags and leaving the house. Tina was texting something on her phone. She turned back to Joseph. 

“Ready to go?” She asked. “I’ve seen all that I’m going to see.” 

“Same here,” he said putting his book away. Tina walked to the officers and informed them to let any of the victim’s family members contact her if they had any information about the murder. He nodded and the two detectives left. 

It was awkward in the car. The silence almost killed him. “That’s number six,” she said. “We’ve found a few connections, but nothing solid.” 

“In one of the bedrooms there were a lot of different medications,” he said. “I’m going to ask my sister to look up a few of the medications to see what they are used for.” 

“Good work,” she said. Her features softened. “That fucking sicko. One of those kids was three. Fucking three years old.” 

Joseph stayed silent. They were now back at the station. Tina walked inside to talk with the Chief. Joseph went to his computer and called his sister. “Hey sis,” he said when she picked up the phone. He tried sounding as cheerful as possible. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” She asked. “But I am always happy to hear from you.” 

“I am at work,” he looked down at the list. “But this is work related. I need your help. I have a list of medications and I was hoping that you can tell me what they are.” 

“Sure,” she said. “Just send the names through a text. I’m kind of busy at the moment.” 

“Thank you,” he said with such relief. 

“Anything for you, Jojo,” she said. She then became very quiet. 

“Are you doing surgery while on the phone?” He asked. Joseph was always amazed at her abilities to multitask. 

“Yes,” she replied. “I supposed I should let you go. Talk to you soon. Love you, Jojo.” 

“Love you too,” Joseph hung up the phone. He texted her a list of the medications to her and began looking over the past six victims. Tina came back to her desk looking more worn out than normal. Joseph gave her small smile. 

“I really hate my job sometimes,” she rubbed her eyes. “So, anything on those medications?” 

“She was in the middle of surgery,” he said. He looked down at the papers. He noticed something that was very interesting about some of the children in the families. They all went to this facility of sorts for therapy and other activities. He wondered why no one noticed this before. “Tee, the families all went to this health facility called Spring Waters Children’s Hospital.” 

Tina did not look at him. “I thought it was nothing,” she narrowed her eyes. “Some of the kids suffered some mental illness and had health problems, but we thoughts it was a coincidence. Do you think they are connected?” 

“It’s worth investigating,” he said. 

“Alright,” she said. “Let’s go. The day is still young.” Joseph smiled despite the fact that she sounded annoyed. They then went to her car. 

Once they arrived at Spring Waters Children’s Hospital, they went inside to speak to the head of the hospital. Joseph did some research on this place. He knew it is designed to help children with various diseases such as mental illnesses, medical issues, and other problems a young child could experience. It was a charitable organization and a nonprofit. Which is why Joseph did not like the idea of it being connected to the murders. This place was designed to help children. 

Tina talked to the receptionist about seeing the director of the hospital. She led them to his office. The man’s name was Robert Anderson. He had salt and pepper hair with soft green eyes. Tina smiled at the man and asked if they could have some words with him. He agreed to it fully. 

“Perhaps while we converse I can give you a tour of the facility?” Doctor Anderson asked the two detectives. They agreed and followed behind him. He began explaining the purpose of this hospital. Since he had a sibling that suffered from so many mental and health problems, he made it his mission to help those that cannot pay for the much needed help. He simply wanted to provide a way for those in need of some medical assistance, whether it is for mental problems or health problems. From what the man was saying it sounded like this place was used for good.

Detective Williams then informed him about why they were here and that they suspect that the serial killer murders are connected to this place. He looked horrified that his place of sanctuary for so many people could harm his patients. 

“Now, you think because several patients from here were murdered that my hospital is connected?” He asked still stunned by all of this. 

“Sadly, yes,” she said. “There are just not that many connections between the families. This is the biggest one we have. I do hate informing of this, sir.” As she was talking Joseph saw a woman with two children in her hands approaching them. 

She had long blonde hair that was pulled in a loose fitting bun and brown eyes. She wore a blue dress with white flowers on the body. One thing Joseph thought that stood out about her was that her skin was rather pale compared to normal. He then took in the two children. Both of them were boys. The first one had brown hair and brown eyes with lightly tanned skin. That boy wore a blue shirt and jeans. The second boy looked like a complete opposite of the first. He was clearly albino with the white hair, but instead of red eyes like others would have, he had shining blue eyes that stood out. He had a hoodie on to keep the sunlight from harming his white skin. The woman smiled when she saw the doctor. 

It was clear that the director and the woman had some sort of relationship if she was able to approach him so easily. “Doctor Anderson,” she said approaching the man. He smiled at her. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. It’s about Leslie.” 

Joseph smiled down at the two boys. The brown haired one hid behind his mother. The albino smiled back with the most infectious smile he had ever seen. The kid was absolutely adorable. He looked to be about nine years old. Despite his age he still looked rather small. He was definitely smaller than the brown haired boy despite the fact that they looked the same age. 

“I’m afraid I am rather busy at the moment. Perhaps meet with Doctor Blaniknshipt.” Doctor Anderson said. “Does Trevor have an appointment today?” 

“He does,” she said. Suddenly the white haired boy let go of his mother’s hand and approached Joseph. She looked shocked that he would freely leave her side. “Leslie, don’t brother the man.” 

“He’s a detective,” he smiled looking up. Tina rolled her eyes. “H-he has a ba-badge. C-can I s-see it?” 

Joseph was a little taken back, but still smiled taking out his badge. “Of course,” he showed him the badge. The young boy looked down at it with wide eyes. The mother rolled her eyes fondly. 

“I’m sorry about Leslie,” she said. Joseph looked up at the woman. “He wants to become a detective.” 

“It’s not a problem,” he said. Joseph kneeled down to be at the boy’s eye level. “Maybe you would like to ride a police car?” 

Leslie clearly liked the sound of that judging by his excited expression. He looked up at his mother with pleading eyes. “C-can I?” He asked. 

The woman smiled at her son. “Perhaps if they are around after Trevor’s appointment,” she said. Joseph could tell she was wrapped around his little finger. He could easily see why. The boy just screamed innocence. The woman then looked at the young rookie. “If you’re still around, I think both my boys would like that a lot.” 

“Of course we will,” Joseph said. Tina glared at him. She clearly did not like the sound of that. It was like she was silently telling him not to let children fuck up her new leather seats. Joseph ignored her glare by standing up to look at the woman. He extended his hand for her to shake. “I’m Detective Joseph Oda.” 

“I’m Anna,” she said. “Anna Withers. It is a pleasure to meet you. I’ll see you later.” The mother quickly ushered her boys away from the two detectives and doctors. Doctor Anderson’s smile then fell off his face. Joseph took note of that. 

“Now, what can I do to assist in this investigation?” He asked. 

“We would like to see your patient files,” Tina said in a serious tone. He agreed and allowed them to conduct research. Joseph looked back to the woman. Anna Withers seemed like a very kind woman with wonderful children. He hated the very idea that someone like her could possibly be a target in for this murderer. But, perhaps that was not the case. Her children were too innocent to see in another body bag. Perhaps that would not happen to the Withers family. Maybe they would find the serial killer before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!


	11. Shit Happens-Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epic conclusion to the two-parter. A murder on the loose, a witness, and the biggest decision of Joseph Oda's life.

Joseph stood in shock as he watched four family members be put into body bags. He saw the familiar blonde hair that once framed a woman’s face with two happy children smiling brightly. All of this was too shocking for him. Tina came behind him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. She was about ask if he would be fine. “I’ll be fine,” he said leaving to investigate the rest of the house. Tina just went about her work to study the blood splatter on the walls. Joseph walked down the hallway when he heard crying in the closet in the middle of the hallway. He opened it up to see a child covered in blood. The bright crimson glowed brightly across his pale skin. 

Detective Oda was shocked. He knew that a body was missing, but knowing that someone was alive filled him with relief. He kneeled down in front of the scared child. “Leslie,” he said gently placing a hand on the boy. He instantly backed away. The fear in his eyes was true. “I’m here to help. Don’t you want to get cleaned up?” 

“G-get cleaned up… Get cleaned up…” Joseph wondered why he was speaking like that. He was certainly not speaking like such when he met the boy. 

“Don’t worry, Leslie, nothing is going to hurt you,” Joseph tried assuring the terrified child. The detective offered his hand. The small child grabbed onto it weakly. Joseph helped him out. He picked Leslie up. The child was lighter than he thought. Leslie leaned his head against Joseph’s shoulder. 

When they returned to the living room, Tina’s mouth almost dropped. Joseph was holding a very small child covered in blood. Her partner was holding a witness. “Oh dear God,” she said rushing over. “What happened?” 

Leslie looked at the blood that was in the living room. He began to shake violently. Joseph rubbed his back to calm him down. “I found him hiding in a closet hidden in the hallway,” Joseph explained. Tina ordered an officer to bring a paramedic over right away. The young detective looked at the small albino. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you cleaned up. I promise.” 

“The second this child is clean I want him in the precinct,” she said. “He knows who the murderer is. Joseph, he’s a witness. This is great news.” 

At the current moment Joseph could not think about the case. Leslie was shaking violently. Joseph sat him down on the only thing that was not covered in blood, which was a chair in the corner of the room. He looked at Leslie. The child was not responding to anything. Joseph tried to see if he had any wounds. Leslie. The child began to mumble something. 

“Leslie, what’s wrong? Does something hurt?” He inquired. Perhaps he did get cut or something of the like. 

“T-t-tired… Tired… Tired…” He kept repeating. Joseph brushed some hair out of his face. Maybe he stayed up the entire night after the murder. Tina walked over to her partner. 

“Hey, the paramedics are here,” she said gently. “Leslie, let’s get you cleaned up.” He looked up at the woman and shook his head. Tina rubbed her eyes. “Joseph, please carry him to the medical team.” 

Joseph picked him up gently. Leslie was like a limp doll. He was so small in his arms. Once outside he gave the child to the medical team. A woman took the albino from his arms. She began to clean the blood off of him gently. The young detective was very worried about the Withers boy. He was so small and had witnessed the brutal murder of his entire family. Tina came up to the medic to talk with her. 

“Are there any wounds?” She asked. The safety of the witness came first. 

“It’s hard to tell with all this blood,” she replied. After a few minutes of checking him over she discovered a few wounds that weren’t that deep and some bruising. Tina knew that he had to be taken to the hospital. Once Leslie was in the back of the ambulance he looked at Joseph with big scared eyes. The female medic clearly noticed that the child needed someone beside him. 

“I’ll accompany him to the hospital,” Joseph said getting in. “I’ll meet you at the police station.” 

“See you later,” Tina walked away. The door shut behind him. Leslie was still in shock. A part of Joseph wanted to know what he saw. He wanted to know every single gruesome detail about his family’s death, but the other part of him, the part that kept him from questioning to poor child, did not want to know. Instead, that part focused on making sure the child was safe and clean. Joseph wondered whose blood he was covered in. 

Once at the hospital a nurse came and helped get Leslie to a place where he can get cleaned up. Joseph stayed beside him because apparently the child did not want to be five feet away from him. Joseph helped get him cleaned up. After all the blood was washed off, the pale skin and hair shined brightly. However what he saw next was not any better. Giant bruises covered his small body. There was a bruise around his neck. Joseph assumed it was from the killer. Leslie apparently had some fight in him. There were other bruises around his body and arms. Joseph could not believe the child had been through so much. 

Leslie was now inside his own room. Joseph called his partner to give her a report on the witness’ health. Detective Williams answered the phone right away. “Any major injuries?” She asked. “When do you think we can question him?” Not one to waste time, she needed to know when the child would be ready to speak. Joseph wondered if that was even a possibility. 

“Lots of bruises,” he said. “The killer tried choking him. There’s a giant bruise around his neck.” 

“Poor kid,” she said. “Tomorrow we will bring him by the station. I’m having someone come in to talk with Leslie. His name is Valerio Jimenez. He’s a psychiatrist I had met with a few times for cases and personal reasons. Perhaps he can help us get Leslie to talk before another family is killed.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed. He felt a tiny hand grab onto his pants. Joseph looked down to see Leslie begin to cry into him. “Tina, I don’t think I can return. Some things came up and I can’t leave Leslie without someone watching over him.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” assured his partner. “I’ll be sure that he will have a police guard. Just make sure the kid is all right. See you tomorrow.” She hung up the phone. His attention now turned to the crying child at his feet. He ran a hand through his white hair. Leslie looked up with tear soaked cheeks. “Let’s take you back to bed. You need rest.” 

He shook his head. “Hurts… Hurts… Hurts…” The child kept repeating. Joseph kneeled down to look at him. Joseph saw the child bring his hands up to his ears. Almost like they were blocking something out. He kept repeating the words over and over. He made a decision to bring the child close. He ran a calming hand over his back. Joseph whispered to him that he was here to protect him and that nothing would harm him ever again. After what felt like thirty minutes of this, the child looked at him. “P-pro-promise?” 

Joseph nodded his head without thinking a second about what that meant to a young child. “I promise,” he dried up his tears. Leslie did not smile, instead he leaned his head against the detective’s chest. He needed someone to comfort him. Just anything that could become a rock for him. Besides, tomorrow he would be questioned about the night of his entire family’s murder. Joseph decided to let the albino have his break down and get some rest. It was times like this that Joseph wondered if he would have to see this for the rest of his life. 

 

Joseph stayed beside Leslie all that night. When the morning came he took Leslie to the police station. The child was still very unresponsive to anything that was happening around him. At the current moment the only person that had heard him speak was Joseph. When they arrived Tina was there talking to a rather large man with a black mustache. He was balding. He wore glasses that were rounded. His partner turned from her conversation to look at Joseph. A soft smile graced her face when she saw Leslie holding his hand tightly. She approached the two. 

“Joseph, this is Doctor Jimenez,” she introduced the two. 

“Nice to meet you,” Joseph said extending his free hand. Valerio took his hand. “This is Leslie.” 

The older man smiled down at the child. Leslie hid behind Joseph. “I won’t hurt you,” Doctor Jimenez said. “You’re a very brave boy.” 

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Tina said. “We have a murderer to find.” 

Joseph led the boy down to the interrogation room. Leslie looked around the room with wide eyes. He went to the two-way mirror. Tina walked in behind Joseph. She sat down. The boy kept poking at it. Maybe he thought someone was on the other side. Well, there was. Doctor Valerio Jimenez was watching the child to see how his mental state was. The oldest detective cleared her throat, which caused Leslie to tense up. 

“Leslie, sweetie, can you sit down here?” Joseph had never heard her speak so kindly to any one before. It was a scary sight. Leslie walked over very timidly to the other chair. He sat down. “Sweetie, can you tell us what happened?” 

Leslie looked at her and then to Joseph. The detective gave his best kindest smile he could muster. He felt like this was too soon. “B-blood,” he managed to say. He looked down. “M-man… Blood… Blood… Mom saved me…” He then looked at the two detectives. “Tr-Trevor, i-is he safe?” 

“Sweetie, I don’t know how to tell you that your family is all dead.” Tina said. Joseph could see little remorse in her eyes, but her voice sounded the completely opposite. “Do you know who murdered them?” 

“Know who murdered them… Know who murdered them…” He kept repeating. Joseph knew this would lead to him panicking again. 

“Leslie, would you recognize him?” Tina finally said wanting to get on the point again. There was killer on the loose. The boy nodded his head. “Does he work at the hospital you went to?” Leslie nodded his head again. “Do you know his name?” Another head nod. “Can you tell me his name?” Leslie shook his head. Tina’s eyes went wide with anger. “Why can’t you tell me his name?” 

“Scared…” He choked out. His eyes were some of the biggest orbs of blue had had ever seen on a young child. He could not believe what he saw. Every fiber of the child was scared. He wanted to go home. His body began to shake violently again. “Hurts… Hurts… Hurts…” He kept repeating grabbing onto his head. Joseph rushed over to his side and wrapped his arms around the child gently. Tina looked tired. 

She walked outside of the room. Joseph knew that she was talking with Doctor Jimenez. He could not quite place it, but he did not like the man. He had this air about that lead Joseph to believe that there was something my sinister behind his kind filled appearance. For now the young child needed him. His partner then walked in with a more calm expression gracing her face. 

“Doctor Jimenez will be in charge of Leslie,” she said simply. “I trust him. He runs a hospice that can give him a temporary home until we find a better solution.” 

“I don’t feel comfortable with Leslie out of police hands,” Joseph said. “He might not be able to inform us who the murderer is, but the killer is still out there. He might come after him. Can we risk that?” 

“No,” she agreed. She placed her hands together in contemplation. “What would you suggest?” Joseph could not bring himself to think of something to say. “You watch after him.” 

“I have a single bedroom apartment,” Joseph said with shock. “Do you really think that I can watch after a child?” 

“He likes you. Also you’re one of our best people,” Joseph had wide eyes. How would she think that he could take care of a child? He had never worked with children before or has any idea on how to properly take care of one. “It won’t be forever. Just until we catch this man. I’ll make sure that you have regular visits with Doctor Jimenez. Joseph, I’m only asking you to watch after him, not take care of him your whole life.” 

“Fine,” he said. Leslie stilled suddenly and looked up at the detective. Joseph ran a hand through his hair. “Do you like the idea of staying with me for a few days?” The child nodded. Joseph smiled a little. 

“Good,” she stood up from the chair. Tina motioned for the two to follow her out. Joseph grabbed Leslie’s hand to walk outside. Doctor Jimenez smiled kindly at the two. Joseph did not like him. Just something about the man caused him to be on edge. His partner trusted the man fully. She actively assured him that he was a good person. Then, why did he feel so nervous about being around him with Leslie? There was no active reason. He seriously met the man an hour ago, how can he hate his person’s guts? He could not think of any other experience he had to where he hated someone upon first meeting them. 

“Doctor Jimenez, is there any reason why you would object to our little rookie to look after Leslie?” Tina asked to make sure that her own decisions were what was right for the child.

“I don’t see why not,” he said. “It might be good for Leslie to be somewhere relaxing. I also don’t want to risk my other patients lives.” 

“I agree,” the older detective looked at Joseph. “Jojo, if there is any trouble, do make sure that you call me. I don’t want anything to happen to you or Leslie.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. 

“Good,” Tina sat at her desk. “Now, Joseph, please go home with the kid. I’ll be later to check you two out.” 

“Come on,” Joseph said looking down at the boy. “Let’s go.” Leslie followed behind, still holding onto his hand. Joseph did not the idea that he would be watching over this child. He was not meant to be a parent. Everything about him was designed to be a parent. Joseph knew that a long time ago. Now, here he is, walking to his car with an albino child holding his hand. This was not what he was expecting when he became a detective. He wondered what his life had come to when he agreed to this. At least the child that was now in his care would be safe. At least he could make sure that this murderer would get nowhere near Leslie Withers. 

 

Joseph settled onto the couch. He was reading a good book. He had stayed beside Leslie until he fell asleep. Now silence filled his apartment. The day was interesting. Just trying to keep Leslie calm. His partner came by to give him some clothes. He thanked her. Now the child had something to change into. 

It was a peaceful night. He smiled seeing the child sleeping so peacefully considering all that Leslie saw. He slowly began to drift off to sleep when he heard someone yell. Instantly Joseph ran to his room. Leslie was thrashing around his bed with his fingernails digging into his skin. It looked like he was drawing blood. Joseph quickly pulled his hands away from his body to stop him from harming himself. Leslie had tears running down his face. He kept repeating one word over and over: blood. Nothing else was coming out from his mouth. Joseph held him close and rubbed his back gently. 

Joseph did not how long it was until Leslie was breathing calmly. He looked over at the time. Four-thirty in the morning. Great. Leslie was not going to bed any time soon. The detective kept the child close. “Tired…” Leslie mumbled. It occurred to Joseph that the child was purposely staying to avoid going back to sleep. 

“Leslie, you need sleep.” Joseph wrapped a blanket around him. “I’ll be right beside you the entire time. I promise.”

Leslie began to close his eyes. He sighed. He wondered what was going on in his mind. The poor child honestly needed someone to watch after him. He was not sure if he trusted Valerio Jimenez. Despite his partner’s complete trust in the man. That itself was very odd. The trust she had. Joseph was still very unsure if his own mentor trusted him. Joseph then closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be his first time to see Doctor Jimenez with Leslie. He just hoped that it would provide something good for him. 

 

Joseph watched as Doctor Jimenez talked with Leslie about the events of the murder. He was not speaking to anyone, but Joseph. Even then it was little words that kept repeating over and over again. In the end, the appointment went very poorly since by the time Leslie left he had managed to have two panic attacks that Joseph had to help the good doctor control. Tina was growing more irritated with the child due to lack of cooperation. Joseph, on the other hand, found that he had a different side to him. When he was spending time with Leslie he would talk to him about little games and sooth him. 

Joseph never thought that he would be patient with a child before. All throughout high school, college, and even now he found that he could not stand being around children. Leslie was different. He wondered if it might have been the guilt of not finding the killer before he lost his family. One common factor was that he would often call for his mother in his dreams. 

Now, approaching the first week of taking care of the small child did he begin to feel like this felt nice. The feeling of having someone waiting for you and relying on you to protect them. As silly as that might sound, just the very idea of that person needing you and loving your company was something Joseph never thought he would like. It was surprising for him. Leslie was just sweet. He tried hard to speak to him, but would often stutter. 

On Saturday night, one week after the brutal murder of the Withers family was there some progress made. Tina decided it was time to bring pictures of all the employees that Leslie could have interacted with and show him. Joseph was against the idea, but eventually agreed since they had wasted a week, but luckily there were no murders. At least some families were sleeping easily. Leslie was not. Tina did not seem to care. She slowly placed pictures in front of the child of the doctors, nurses, and even a custodian. 

“Him…” Leslie mumbled. He curled in on himself. In front of him was a doctor with black hair and blue eyes. The two detectives looked at each other before looking at Leslie. 

“Are you sure?” Tina asked in the most threatening tone she could muster. Joseph thought it was little out of character for her. 

Leslie nodded his head. “H-he at-attacked m-mom,” he mumbled looking at the picture. “D-dad s-saved her. T-then…” He placed a hand around his neck. “Hurts… Hurts…” 

“Leslie, you don’t have to say anymore,” Joseph said quickly. Leslie looked at him with tears beginning to overflow. 

“Alright, we got our man,” she said standing up. She looked over to Joseph. “I need you with me. Valerio will be in charge of Leslie.” 

“Are we certain that is safe?” Joseph asked. He did not want to leave the child with that man. 

“Since we know who the guy is, yeah,” she answered. Tina then called in the man. He walked in. “Take Leslie with you to the hospice. Joseph, let’s go.” 

“J-Joseph?” Leslie asked. 

“I’ll be back,” he said gently. Tina rolled her eyes. She left the room to get a squad together. “You’ll be fine.” He smiled before walking out of the room. Leslie looked at Doctor Jimenez before briefly looking back to where Joseph ran off. He began to shake violently as the man ushered him out of the room. He wanted to be with Joseph. He felt safe around him. Leslie hated this person. Hated how he talked to him. He felt… “Scared…” 

 

Tina drove with Joseph in the passenger seat. Both of them were silent. A squad of police cars drove was driving behind them. They arrived at the apartment of the man. The woman began giving orders to go to every exit to keep the man from escaping. She told Joseph to wait here in case the killer made a run for it. Joseph agreed and waited outside the car. He watched as she stormed in with two other police officers. The young detective waited nervously. This was good. The rest of the families would live. But he still worried. 

Something was thrown out of the serial killer’s window. “HE’S FUCKING GONE!” Joseph heard her yell. He noticed that the object she threw out was a shoe that belonged to him. She looked down at the rookie. “Joseph, call Doctor Jimenez now!” He nodded dialing the number. He waited a few rings before the answering machine came on. Tina came behind her partner. 

“He’s not answering,” he said. Panic began swelling inside him. 

“Let’s go then,” she got into her car. “This is bad. Really fucking bad.” 

Joseph got in the car. His partner began to drive insanely fast. She was cussing under her breath about making such a rookie mistake. Joseph only hoped that Leslie was unharmed. They soon came to the hospice that Valerio ran. Tina was the first out of the car and ran inside. Joseph was not far behind her. The place was empty. It might have something to do with the fact that there were several renovations being done to the place, but it was still odd. Tina and Joseph took out their guns. They both found Valerio’s office. She ran to his side to check on him. 

“Something blunt hit him,” she said looking at the back of his head. “Go find Leslie.” 

Joseph left the office. He began looking around the building. Suddenly he heard screaming coming from outside. Joseph ran outside. He went the direction where he heard the scream. It sounded like Leslie. Joseph came to an old shack in the middle of the woods. The detective opened the door to see Leslie pinned against the far wall. Joseph went over to him and began to untie the rope that had him restrained. Leslie appeared to be bleeding from his head. The detective worked quickly to untie him when he heard something going on outside. 

He went outside to see the man spraying gasoline over the building. The man was surprised to see Detective Oda standing there holding his gun. With one quick movement he sprayed some on Joseph. While he was distracted the man took out matches and lit one. The building caught on fire. Joseph’s eyes were wide in horror. Leslie was in there. Without a second thought he went inside. Leslie was breathing heavily. The shack got fire a lot quicker than it should have. Joseph took off his jacket to cover the albino child. It was a bad idea. Due to the gasoline on his hands the flames quickly attached themselves to him. He screamed, but the safety of a child was first. 

After untying the rope, Leslie was free. He grabbed him and began to run out of the building when he heard it begin to creak. Joseph knew it was old, but to think that it was falling apart this easily. Before they were outside Joseph heard the roof collapse. Joseph did the only thing that he could do was to get Leslie out of there. He managed to push him out while the room fell on his back. He screamed loudly as the flames touched his skin. He saw Leslie looked at him with wide eyes. The albino began walking over to him to help, but the detective yelled at him not to come near him. Joseph saw fear in the child’s eyes. Leslie was suddenly moved by a police officer. 

His partner then came to his side, moving all the wood out of the way. Firefighters came to the rescue as well. Tina grabbed him. He could hear her gasp when seeing his burned skin. He was not certain about the damage he would have, but he felt awfully tired. “Just stay with me, Oda,” she said dragging him to paramedics. “I don’t need ya dying on me.” Joseph closed his eyes too tired to care. He saw Leslie being looked after by an officer. 

“The… The… M-murder…” he somehow managed to say.

“We got him,” she said grimly. “Just focus on living. Okay?” With her soothing words he closed his eyes too tired to do anything. At least Leslie was safe. That was the only positive thing that happened. All that mattered was that Leslie Withers was still alive and breathing. 

 

Joseph Oda did not know how long he was asleep, but he did know that his hands were covered in bandages and sleeping beside him was a little white haired boy. He smiled gently at the small child. Suddenly his partner walked into the room. Tina looked tired. He never saw this side to her before. A small smile graced her face when she saw Joseph was awake. “Glad you’re up,” she said. The older woman pulled a blanket over Leslie’s body. “Leslie refused to leave your side.” 

Joseph looked at her for a minute before she sat down. “Right,” she whispered. “Medical report. You have severe burn scars on your hands and back. Everything should heal normally, but there might be nerve damage.” Her rookie partner looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “Your hands will be able to function properly and that is all that matters.” 

Joseph nodded his head. His eyes then turned down to the small thing sleeping beside him. “What will happen to Leslie?” He asked. 

“Well, he has no other family members alive,” she began. “However, Doctor Jimenez will be taking him in to help with his mental illnesses.” 

“Are we seriously trusting that man with Leslie?” Joseph asked in disbelief. He was not sure if it was due to the recent attempt on the child’s life or the fact the drugs running through his system but he was not keeping his mouth shut about the man any longer. “I don’t know what your strange trust for the man is, but he cannot be trusted. Did you see the state of his hospice?” 

“He’s renovating it,” she clarified. “And he still works in his office. That night he forgot some important files.” 

“Tina, do you realize how stupid you sound when you say you trust him?” Joseph asked. “You never trust people. Fuck, you I still don’t know if you trust me. How can I trust someone when you actively try to make me trust him? Don’t you think Leslie deserves something better?” 

“What do you suggest then?” Tina almost shouted. “Leslie is an orphan, but to top that off he has serious mental issues that need specialized attention.” 

“And that man is the best thing we can offer to him?” Joseph narrowed his eyes. 

“There are no other options,” Tina said grimly. “Shit happens, Joseph. The sooner you learn that lesson the better detective you’ll become.”

Joseph and her stayed silent for a while when Leslie woke up. He smiled a little seeing that Joseph was awake. The detective fluffed his hair with his bandaged hand. Tina then walked over to Joseph’s bedside. “I got you something,” she said taking out a box from her jacket. She unwrapped it for him. His partner revealed a pair of black leather gloves. He looked at her with some surprise. “I thought since you might want to feel a little normal. It’s the least I can do.” 

“Thank you,” Joseph said. He looked at Leslie for a little bit before sighing. “I can take care of him.” 

“What?” She asked in surprise. 

“I’ll adopt him,” he said. “I know he’ll feel safe when he is with me.” 

“Do you how much care a kid is?” Tina asked. Joseph saw the furry in her eyes. Leslie tucked his head underneath Joseph’s arm. “He has problems, Oda. He’s never going to get better. Do you understand? Things will never be easy for the two of you.” 

“I don’t care,” Joseph said darkly. He was not going to get beaten down by his partner. “I want him in my life.” 

“The paperwork,” Tina glared at him. “The visits to the doctor.” 

“Why are you against this? It’s not your life?” 

“I don’t want you to throw away your life for some mental case.” That hurt Joseph hearing his partner say that about Leslie. He had problems, but the child deserved a family. He deserved a normal life. “You have so much potential, but with that child you might as well throw all of it away.” 

Joseph knew that this is something his parents would say. They weren’t thrilled about his job as a detective, but learned to accept his career choice. However, adopting a child was different than getting a job as a detective. “I’m not going to throw away my life,” Joseph defended himself. He was certain he wanted this. He knew he wanted this. His partner groaned as she turned away with frustration. She was not getting through. 

“Fine,” she said coldly. “Do whatever the hell you want. I don’t care. But, until you can legally have Leslie he will be in the care of Doctor Jimenez. At least with him he will get some professional help.” His partner began to walk out of the room. She stopped in the doorway. “Joseph, I sure as hell hope you realize your mistake.” With those less than supporting words, she left the room. Most likely to rage on about this adoption he wanted to do, but that did not matter. 

His mentor would get used to the idea. Joseph knew this would be hard to adopt Leslie, but he did not care. All that mattered is that Leslie would get a chance of happiness again. He would get a chance to live a normal life. Looking down at the child, he smiled running a bandaged hand through is hair. Leslie looked up with a concerned expressional on his face. Joseph brought him close. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’ll protect you. I promise.” 

“Promise?” He asked. The word was almost foreign to him. 

“Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Hopefully this will make you forgive me for being a jerk last week! Hope you all liked these chapters! But wow, Joseph's older partner was kind of jerk. Anyways, thank you as always! You guys are the best things ever!   
> As always, ask questions if you have any. Thanks for the kudos, reads, and comments! Love everything about you peeps! Also, if you have any cute ideas about little one shots, please let me know! I will do almost anything. See you all next Sunday! And don't forget to stay updated on the series!


	12. Possible Suspects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two Oda family members along with Sebastian do a little investigating. Ruvik is also a dick and a stalker.

Sebastian looked at Joseph. His eyes were wide in what would be considered shock. He did not know that Leslie lost his entire family, at least not like that. Joseph looked down at his hands. He was shaking a little, but still have the composer that he normally wore. Joseph took off his glasses. He cleaned them calmly. 

“I thought you should know first,” he said simply. “Ruvik will probably do his own little research. I kept Leslie’s files hidden. I just couldn’t let anyone find out about him.” 

“So, what did the man kill those families?” Sebastian asked. Joseph sadly nodded his head. 

“Mercy killings. Hated that these families were going through such trauma with their children,” he said. “Leslie still has nightmares about that night. After I got better Mai helped me get Leslie. That’s why this is like paying her back.” 

Sebastian nodded. He knew that this was hard for Joseph to tell him about his son’s old life, but he respected him for trusting the man with that story. Detective Castellanos knew that Joseph loved and adored this little kid. “Then we better not fail,” he said. Joseph nodded. 

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but instead he got up. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said showing himself out. “Thanks.” 

Sebastian gave a small smile before getting himself a drink. He felt bad to Joseph and Leslie. However, he decided it was his new job to make sure that Leslie would never loose Joseph and vice versa. After all, he knew the feeling all too well.

 

The next day was strange, needless to say. Sebastian was somehow playing chess with Leslie and loosing terribly. He smiled happily playing this game. Joseph was watching them with an intense gaze. Sebastian almost swore to god that it felt like him and Ruvik were playing chess again and Myra was the third party keeping track of every move. However, it did not feel like it was back then. Instead it felt like this was a light moment of fun. Leslie was actually really smart and chess was his personal favorite. The older man swore he was better at chess, but Joseph only rolled his eyes. 

Leslie then moved his queen and won the match. Sebastian groaned playfully. Mai then came in and looked at the three males surrounding the board. Her eyes rolled as she approached them. Leslie picked up his game and left the room. Joseph noticed that Mai had all sorts of papers on the case. She then went on to explain how they would be interrogating Mrs. Winters about her story. She told them everything she knew and Joseph made notes. 

Sebastian looked at the pictures of where the body was found. He thought it was odd that, according to the woman’s story, the body was found nearly twenty miles away from where she was. In the story she explained that her husband had a business meeting and never returned home. Mrs. Winters then decided to visit a friend considering they were going through a divorce and she was tired about being in that home. The friend was not home, but she had a spare key. The next day the man’s body was found the Mrs. Winters was at the house of the friend. The friend did not return home until after the murder was discovered. Sadly, that could have been their alibi and she did not have cameras around her property. 

Joseph looked through the file on Mrs. Winters’ books she had written. He read a few of them, but she was no murderer. In the past she had given to good charities, volunteered regularly, and had saved someone’s life. She could not possibly be a murder. The detective could not wait to interview her. He needed to know the full story for himself and not just what his sister told him. Sebastian could not wait either, but since it was a Sunday it would be rather hard to see her. Instead, they decided to gather a list of possible suspects. 

The two detectives were able to work well together compiling a list of any possible suspects. Mai stretched. She went to check on Leslie, who had been rather quiet today. She came inside his room to find him sleeping on the bed with a book on the floor. She smiled at the boy before returning to the two men. 

“How’s Leslie?” Joseph asked. 

“Sleeping,” she said. “Has he been having nightmares lately?” 

“Sadly yes,” he said. He rubbed his gloved hands together. Sebastian stayed silent. He got up. “Anyways, want anything to eat? We’ll order takeout.” 

“Chinese,” Sebastian said. 

Mai glared at him. “Really?” the woman asked. 

“Really,” he said staring her in the eyes. Mai Oda might be a tough woman, but she certainly has not met the most stubborn detective in the entire Krimson City Police Force. 

“I’ll just order some Italian,” Joseph said. “Not pizza, but real Italian food.” 

“Ha,” she said leaning against her chair. “Joseph chose my favorite kind of food.”

“No,” he said slowly. “I chose something that was neutral. I’m not having a fight between you two.” 

Mai just waved her hand at him. Sebastian leaned against the chair he was sitting on. He watched as Joseph ordered the food. He wondered how Joseph dressed when he was not working. He would bet so much money that he still wore nice clothing, only without a tie. Once the young man was done he came back to the lawyer and detective. They began talking about lighter things. Such as Leslie’s school, Joseph’s job, and Mai’s relationship. At the current moment she was engaged to a woman she had met while in law school. She had mentioned now that gay marriage legal that they started planning a wedding. 

Joseph was happy for her. This was truly amazing for his sister. “Found you anyone, yet?” Mai asked smirking. Before Joseph could answer that question the door knocked. He left to get food. “Oh my little brother.” 

Sebastian looked at her with a questioning look. “Concerned about your brother’s relationships much?” He asked. 

Mai scoffed. “Yes,” she said. “While my sister and I were actually able to date, our little brother decided to adopt a kid. He’s not had a relationship last longer than two months.” 

“If he doesn’t want to date, he doesn’t have to,” Sebastian said. Mai rolled his eyes. 

“Leslie can be good company for so long,” she said. “He needs someone who isn’t afraid to talk. Like you.” 

“Was that a compliment?” Sebastian asked with a smirk. She was about to respond when her brother arrived with their food. He gave the two people their food and sat his on the coffee table. He walked over to the fridge to stick an extra little plate for Leslie. 

They began to eat. Mai got a call and went outside to answer it. Joseph leaned back to the couch. His glasses were off. Sebastian took in the appearance of the younger man. He was actually really good looking. Despite how harsh the glasses made his appearance, he could see how soft his face was without those huge frames. Sebastian liked him without his glasses on. It just made him look younger than he actually was. 

“I’m full,” Joseph said laughing a little. “And I’m honestly tired.” 

“Yeah,” Sebastian said. Tomorrow would be long, as they would be doing interview after interview. Leslie would be at school, but he would have to pick him up. “Hey, let me get Leslie up so he can eat something.” 

“Yeah,” Joseph said. “He needs something to eat. He’s so skinny.” 

Sebastian laughed a little coming inside his room. Luckily he did not have to wake up the kid. He still looked tired, but at least he didn’t have to scare the poor kid. He noticed the kid had been crying in his sleep. “Leslie, are you okay?” He asked stepping closer to the kid. The boy shook his head. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nightmare,” he breathed out. “B-body parts.” 

“Hey, it’s fine,” he said. “We stopped him.” 

“W-who’s Ruvik?” Leslie asked. He kept remembering that name. He did not know why, but it bothered him that the doctor was obsessed with him. 

Sebastian kept his mouth silent. He placed a hand on Leslie’s shoulder. He flinched at the new touch. “Leslie,” he said in a low tone. “Don’t tell Joseph that name. He’s someone bad. But he won’t hurt you.” 

“Bad,” Leslie repeated. “Won’t hurt. O-okay.” 

Sebastian liked this kid. “Now, you need dinner,” he said. He left the room. Leslie followed behind him. Joseph was cleaning up the papers for Mai. She had to go back to the hotel she was staying at. Leslie ate his dinner in silence. Joseph asked him if he got all his homework done and the boy nodded. He smiled at him. Sebastian began to think if this would be his life if Myra hadn’t left or if his own daughter hadn’t died. Perhaps it would not be exactly like this, but it would have been nice to know what it was like to deal with a teenage girl. 

The man looked down at his hand. He stopped wearing the ring a few months before Joseph arrived. As much as he loved Myra, she left him and vanished into the void. He almost became bitter towards her. Seeing as Joseph had lived with Leslie and cared for him made him wish that Myra had stayed around longer. They could have been happy again. Now he was an old man that no one would consider dating or even have sex with. He was just a mess. 

“Seb,” Joseph said breaking him from his thoughts. “Is something wrong?” 

“Yeah, just fine,” he said rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I’m a little tired.” 

“If you want you can stay here,” the younger man suggested. Leslie looked up from his food. He still looked very tired. “I can set up the couch for you.” 

“I don’t want to impose,” Sebastian said. 

“It’s not a problem,” Joseph said laughing a little. Leslie rolled his eyes. 

“No,” Sebastian said sternly. “I’ll just see you tomorrow, Jojo. You too, Leslie.” He left the apartment. Joseph sighed. Leslie looked at him with curious eyes. 

“D-do you like him?” He managed to say. Joseph rolled his eyes. “You blushed.” 

“Did not,” he said. Leslie put his food away. “Besides, you need sleep because you have school tomorrow.” 

Leslie nodded. He then went to bed. Joseph waited a few minutes before checking up on him. Leslie was curled up in a little ball like always. The Canadian began to go to get ready for bed. He ran through the shower. Everything felt warm and relaxing. All the shit they have been through in the last couple months just seemed to melt away. Joseph had to admit that Krimson City is very crime infested. He then wondered why so many people were attracted to this place. So many sickos in one city create a very dangerous place. Maybe he should just leave. But he knew that this place was good for Leslie. He had a life here at last. 

He then came out of the shower. He put on a pair of boxers and sweatpants. Joseph lay on the bed. His wet hair brushing against his face. When he decided to not slick his hair back, which was very rare, it was long and got in his face. At one point he went undercover for a Japanese mafia just by changing his hair. Joseph thought about Sebastian for a little bit. The man was interesting. He had his own inner demons and he wondered if he would share that with him one day. Deciding to let his thoughts drift around in his head the young man fell asleep in the silence of his room. 

 

The next day Mai came to pick up Joseph and Leslie. They dropped the young boy at his school before meeting up with the older man. Sebastian waited outside his apartment building. Mai grimaced at the hole he lived in. She made a comment on its status, but Joseph ignored it. They went to meet up with Mrs. Winters. Joseph began reviewing his notes. He had a list of questions he wanted to ask the woman. Sebastian was simply going to listen to her story and decide for himself if everything rang true. 

They came to the jail where she was being kept. The guards greeted Mai with a smile. She smiled back swinging her hips a little. Joseph rolled his eyes. His sister was honestly the most idiotic person he knew. And he was working with Sebastian who just had the most brilliant ideas. Some of his brilliant ideas were getting shot at and destroying a suspect’s car. Joseph was not even around him when he had those little gems. Overall, weirdoes surrounded Joseph. Now he had a job to do.

Mrs. Winters was waiting for them. She gave a smile of relief when she saw Mai with the two men. The older Oda introduced the men and informed her that they would be assisting in the case. The woman was clearly very happy. Joseph began to interview her on the day of the murder. She said everything that Mai had told them. At least there were no holes in her story. Sebastian stayed silent. Joseph knew he would voice what he thought when they were done. 

“Is there anyone that would want to harm you?” Joseph asked. The woman looked at him and then tried thinking. 

“Maybe one or two crazy fans,” she answered. “But they would not go as far as to frame me for a murder.” 

“Neighbors said there was an argument,” Sebastian said. 

“We fought a lot,” she said. “This divorce was coming, but there were just so many things left unsaid. We fought over stupid things. But I would never kill him.” 

“Mind telling us what the argument was about?” He asked. 

“Who would get the house,” she said simply. “In the end I decided to let him have it. That’s why I went to my friend’s house. I thought that it was the least I can do.” 

Joseph wrote something down in his notebook. “And did your friend hate your husband?” He went on to ask thinking that the friend could have anything to do with it. 

“If she did she never voiced it,” Mrs. Winters said. She looked down sadly. “I don’t know who did it, but I was nowhere need my husband when he was murdered. We fought a lot, but what unhappy couple don’t? I just want to know who killed him.” 

“And we’ll find out,” Sebastian said. Joseph looked at him for a second. “We will see you soon.” 

The woman thanked them for coming to talk with her. She then thanked Mai for all the help. They walked out of the prison. Joseph reviewed his notes on the drive to talk with any possible suspects. Mai sighed. 

“I hate being a lawyer sometimes,” she said. 

“Everyone hates their job at some point,” Sebastian said. He was looking out the window. Mai rolled her eyes. 

“It’s different for me,” she said. “You don’t have high expectations.” 

Sebastian laughed. “It’s your own fault,” he said. Joseph slapped his partner on the back of his head. The man turned around to see him shaking his head disapprovingly. “What was that for?” 

“You really need to learn to be more considerate,” Joseph said. Sebastian was about to respond when Mai stopped the car. 

“Out of the car, Detective Castellanos,” she said unlocking her door. “If you cannot respect me, then I do not want you with me. Joseph is more than all the help I need.” 

Sebastian looked at the woman. She was serious. However, there was no way he was going to let Joseph down. “I can keep my mouth shut,” he said. Mai smirked locking her doors again. 

“Good,” she said driving to talk with the rest of their suspects. 

 

Joseph and Leslie walked into the apartment. Joseph was tired and Leslie looked like he had been hurt. There was a bandage on his hand that was not there when he left him at home earlier that morning. He frowned thinking about all the possible situations Leslie could have gotten hurt. Maybe he was being bullied. Perhaps it was a simple accident. Quite possibly a violent act. Being a detective did not calm his nerves at all. Instead he kept worrying about any possible ways his son could be harmed. 

“Leslie, what happened to your hand?” Joseph asked. Leslie looked at him. 

“A-accident,” he said showing Joseph his hand. On the top of his hand was a red mark that shined brightly across his pale skin. “I-in lab we dissected frogs. Dropped knife.” Leslie put the bandage back on his hand. 

“Is that all?” Joseph asked. The younger boy nodded his head. Joseph smiled gently at him even though he was not buying his story. “Well, I’ll make dinner.” He went into the kitchen and began to cook. 

Joseph thought back to when he finally won over his battle with Leslie. After staying with Valerio it seemed he had multiple bruises covering his body. Joseph investigated the man and found that a few of the guards and nurses had abused some of their patients. Poor Leslie was one of them. For nearly a month the small boy had purple and blue marks on his body. Joseph was always careful when he touched Leslie or had to move him to his bed when he fell asleep on the couch. He easily bruised. 

The worst part about Valerio is that he was never arrested for what he had done. He vanished into thin air. Joseph often shuttered at what the staff did to poor Leslie. The child deserved so much better. Suddenly Joseph was broken by his thoughts when his phone rang. He went to pick it up. Another unknown number. Joseph knew it was Ruvik. He looked at Leslie, who was reading something happily. Like an idiot, he answered the phone. 

“What do you want?” He asked. Joseph began to gather the items he needed to cook dinner. 

“How’s the case?” Ruvik’s voice said on the other end. Joseph got creped listening to it. 

“Fine,” he said simply. “What do you want, Ruvik?” He said in a hushed tone. 

“Just seeing if you need my help,” he said. “But perhaps you don’t. Also, how’s the Withers boy? I've been doing a little research. Even his family has a record.”

“Leslie is fine,” he hissed. Although his stomach turned the way the man talked about his son.

“Sebastian?” Leslie asked. He was paying attention to the conversation now. 

“He sounds interesting,” Ruvik said. 

“No,” he said. Leslie looked confused. “Someone from work.” The boy nodded his head turning back to his book. “Goodbye.” He hung up. Fucking Ruvik. He saw a text from that same number. It read goodbye. Joseph began cooking dinner like it was the only thing that mattered. He hadn’t seen him a long time. 

He had to get him out of his mind. All that mattered is this dinner. All that mattered is his sister. And all the mattered is Leslie. Joseph wondered if he should try getting a desk job just to help keep Leslie safe from any harm or move away from the crazy man in Beacon Mental Hospital. However, that was not an option. Despite only living here two months he had a life here now. Sebastian was his partner and was a good man. Though he did not like some of his habits or how he did his job, the man was honestly truly welcoming. Which made it hard for him to not stare at him with such wide eyes. The man just took no shit from anyone. Perhaps tomorrow would provide a stable day. After all, the only had a few weeks until the court date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. But the next one will have more, I promise. Do hope you like Mai. I also hope you like the chapter. It means a lot to me about your support. All of you are amazing! I love every single one of ya! Thanks again!  
> Like always, if you have any questions feel free to ask and don't forget to check out my little one shots! And if you think there are some cool ideas for those, please suggest them! That would be amazing! Either way, see you next Sunday and be expecting one shots to pop up every now and then! You guys are amazing!
> 
> Side Note: RUVIK IS A DICK BUT I STILL LOVE HIM!  
> See you guys next Sunday and enjoy the Walking Dead tonight!


	13. Court Dates and Panic Attacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The court date has arrived! Joseph and Sebastian look nice. Everything is set in place, however during the trial something Leslie suffers from one of his terrible panic attacks.

Sebastian waited at the courthouse’s steps for the brother and sister duo. The last he heard was that Mai was going to be with Mrs. Winters discussing what they had found. However, the investigation was still wide open, but they found evidence that would prove her not guilty for the murder of her husband. The older man felt much more relieved when they discovered that information. Now as he waited for the cameras to come he saw Joseph Oda looking through his notes. Sebastian smiled at him. 

Joseph greeted him. There were two things Sebastian noticed about Joseph. One was that he was wearing a long sleeved jacket. It made him look like a secret agent with those gloves. His strong shoulders framed by the black jacket. The second item he noticed was that Joseph seemed to be wearing new glasses. He knew that was an odd thing to notice, but they did not seem like the normal big frame glasses. These frames were slimmer. He did not like them that much. 

He must have given a strange look because Joseph blushed a little. “I broke my other glasses,” he said. “These are my spares.” 

“Ah. Okay,” was all he managed to say. Honestly, he thought it was strange to see Joseph like this. The clean and groomed part was normal, but the suit and thin glasses just did not seem like him. “You look good.” 

“You look like yourself,” Joseph said. It made Sebastian feel a little better that his wit was still there. 

“Oh,” Sebastian said getting his phone out. “Our little insane friend told us good luck.” 

“I really hate that guy,” Joseph said looking at the text. “Like, really hate that guy. Why does the police department even deal with him?” 

“Because he’s that good,” he heard a female voice say. The two men turned to see Chief Callahan behind them. She was wearing a pinstripe suit that was gray on gray. She had a pencil skirt on and a pair of shoes with a short heel. “Did he help you two with this case?” 

“Nope,” they both answered quickly. 

“Good,” she said walking up the steps. Her hair was pulled up in the normal tight bun. Joseph and Sebastian followed behind her. As they walked in they saw reporters talking to Mai. Mrs. Winters was beside her. Joseph gave a small wave. A reporter turned around to see the three of them. He began to run over towards them. Alison rolled her eyes. Not long after he was coming towards them a few more came as well. They began to answer as to why her men chose to take on the case. She answered every question with ease. 

Sebastian motioned for Joseph to follow him into the courtroom. Joseph watched as the woman talked with such power. He thought about how unnerved she was by a simple call from Ruvik. Yet, she was just the most powerful woman on camera, besides his sister. They came to the courtroom. 

“How’s Leslie?” Sebastian asked. He hadn’t seen the boy in over a week. The older man was rather concerned about him. 

“He’s good,” Joseph said smiling a little. “He’s gotten good grades so far.” 

“Does he have any favorite classes?” Sebastian asked. 

“Biology,” he said. “The teacher is nice, so he likes her the best.” 

“Got to love the sexy teacher,” the older man joked. Joseph pushed him playfully. “It made me actually enjoy math.” 

“Leslie doesn’t find people attractive like you and I do,” Joseph said looking forward as the jury walked in. “He either likes how they act or not. The teacher is kind to him so he likes her.” 

“Right,” Sebastian said. Mai walked inside with the client. Mai was wearing a navy pencil skirt with a matching jacket. The shirt she wore underneath was floral print. Mrs. Winters wore a pink dress with a golden necklace. Joseph took a breath in anticipation to the trial. Sebastian seemed relaxed in this place. However, the last time Joseph was in a courtroom with an important reason was for Leslie. He sighed as he waited for this case to begin. He saw Alison walk in with a stern expression. She took a seat beside them. 

“How was the interview?” Sebastian asked. 

“Tiring,” she replied looking ahead of him. “I hope for God’s sake this woman is innocent.” 

“We have all the evidence we need to prove her innocence,” Joseph said. 

“Any other suspects?” She asked. “Any possible murder?” 

“No,” Sebastian said. “But all we need to do is prove her innocence.” 

Alison nodded her head. Joseph then saw a man wearing a suit sit in the back of the courtroom. It appeared he was running late, but the detective got a bad feeling about him. He ignored it. They had a person to prove innocent. 

 

Leslie was eating lunch with his friend. He was checking on his phone about the trial. Nathaniel was watching it with him. The two boys sat outside with their lunches. 

“My mom is there too,” he said. Leslie looked at him with a concerned expression. He knew that his mother was the Chief, but he was not entirely sure why she was there. “Right, well from what mom was telling me she had to make an appearance since her men are a part of this trial."

Leslie nodded his head. The teenage boy watched the reporter talk about the case and trial so far. There were details about how the Krimson City police detectives had been doing special work into the murder. They showed pictures of the two detectives. Leslie smiled seeing their faces on display. He hoped all that work and late hours were worth it all. Nathaniel watched intensely. 

The white haired boy watched as all the people came up to be interviewed. He curled his legs up to his chest resting his head on them. Leslie could feel the weather begin to change. He sighed. He did not like winter. Everything about winter was awful, the snow, the cold, and anything else winter brought along. It was not pleasant. Leslie then slowly began to close his eyes. Listening to the sound of the trial beginning to rock him to sleep. Besides, getting a little sleep was not so bad. 

Turned out it was bad. He had that image played in front of him again. The image of his family being slaughtered in front of him replayed. All the blood sprayed everywhere. Then the man walked towards him. Leslie somehow hid. He survived. He hated that. Leslie hated being alive while his family bled out. The boy curled into a ball since that was the safest position for him. 

The boy then woke up with a loud gasp. He began to shake violently, alerting his friend that something was wrong. “Leslie, are you okay?” He asked setting the phone down. 

“No… No… No…” He kept repeating over and over again. He held onto his head. He just wanted the images to stop. Nathaniel didn’t know what to do. He placed a hand on Leslie in an attempt to comfort him. The boy flinched. Leslie shook his head. “Stop… Stop… Stop…” Nathaniel was beginning to freak out. He had no idea about these episodes. Leslie had honestly forgotten about them. These awful things hadn’t reared their ugly heads in nearly six months. 

Leslie normally had Joseph wrap him in a blanket and try calming him before he hurt himself. Joseph made him feel safe. Leslie wanted to feel safe. He needed to feel safe. 

“I’m going to get help,” his friend said softly. He got up and ran inside the building. Leslie shook his head. He began to cry. Leslie was now on the on the ground. The last thing he saw was his biology teacher running to him with Nathaniel not far behind before he blacked out. 

 

Joseph was presenting the evidence they found. He explained everything with such force and dedication. The jury watched him. He presented several letters from someone that claimed to have information on an article he was working on. There was also an unknown footage of Mrs. Winters driving her car to the friend’s house at a gas station that was not brought into attention. 

After he was done talking he went to sit beside Sebastian. Alison gave a rare smile. Apparently he did well. The jury then went to the back to make their decision. The three walked outside. Sebastian needed a smoke. He lit a cigarette. Alison talked to Joseph on how he handled himself. He smiled. Joseph checked his phone. He saw a call from Leslie’s school. He frowned knowing it was nothing good. 

He called back. Sebastian watched as Joseph talked on the phone. Worry was etched over his face. “He’s where?” Joseph shouted. “I’m sorry. Why is he there?” Joseph bit his lip. Sebastian watched as his partner nervously paced back and forth. Alison looked at the time. “Alright. I understand. I’m coming to pick him up. Thank you. Goodbye.” Hanging up the phone he sighed. Everything was just peachy. The detective looked at the two. 

“I have to go,” Joseph sighed. Sebastian could easily tell that something happened with Leslie. “I’m terribly sorry about this, but it’s important.” 

“Go on,” Alison motioned with her hand. “Your work is done. See you at the station.” 

Joseph smiled and left. Sebastian felt like he should follow him. His partner shouldn’t have to do this alone. Clearly Chief Callahan noticed and motioned for him to leave with the Canadian. And the man did just that. He followed Joseph to his car. The younger man noticed Sebastian approaching him. His brows furrowed together. 

“You think I was going to let you go alone, did ya?” Sebastian asked. 

A small smile appeared on his face. The older man figured that after so many years raising Leslie alone he seemed to like having someone to comfort him. A small “thanks,” came out of his mouth. Sebastian got into the passenger door. 

Joseph got in the driver’s side. His hands were shaking a little. “What happened?” Sebastian asked trying to ease his partner. 

“Panic attacks,” he said. “Six months he had not had one. When he has them it’s different than an average person. Normally I’m there to comfort him, but this is the first time I’ve not been there for him. He can normally rely on me.” 

“Can anything trip him off?” The older man looked to the one driving. Joseph shook his head. He figured that it can happen at any point. “So, I take it Leslie isn’t at the school?” 

“Yeah. Beacon Mental Hospital,” Joseph said darkly. “What if Ruvik knows he’s there? What if he’s hurt?” 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Sebastian assured him, although he didn’t know if he could trust himself with that statement. It did seem to calm Joseph’s nerves a little. They soon arrived to the place. Joseph parked the car and practically ran inside the building. Sebastian was not far behind him. When he entered the building he saw his biology teacher there waiting for him. 

“Where is he?” Joseph asked. 

“Talking with Doctor Roberts,” she said calmly. “When Leslie woke up he freaked out. I promise your son is in good hands.” Joseph was still tense, however he seemed to relax a little. “I can bring you to him.” 

They walked down the halls to a room. On the top of the door he saw the name Roberts. The woman walked into the room. Leslie was on a chair twitching nervously. The man smiled at the three of them. 

The man had gray hair and a beard that matched. He was a thin man. Leslie seemed to like him since he was not running away. Leslie saw Joseph and ran to him. “Elizabeth, glad you’re back. And you must be Leslie’s father,” the man said getting up from his chair. He extended his hand to Joseph who shook it. “Leslie hasn’t said much. I think he just likes the company.” 

Joseph smiled a little. Leslie kept his eyes to the floor. “Thank you for watching after him,” he said. Sebastian smiled at the kid. “We should get going.” He wanted out of this place. Ruvik was however many floors down below them and his son was in possible danger of being in the same area as him. Although he figured Sebastian would ensure that never happened. 

“Yes,” the man agreed. “Take care. Leslie, it was a pleasure meeting you.” Leslie nodded as he walked out of the room. His adoptive father led him outside of the building. 

“See you at school, Leslie,” his teacher, Elizabeth, said with a bright smile. “And nice meeting you, Mr. Oda.” 

“And you as well,” he said smiling. Joseph helped Leslie into the car. The boy was still twitching. Joseph frowned. He looked at Sebastian with a pained expression. “Can you drive? I need to comfort Leslie.” 

Sebastian thought this was rather adorable. “Sure,” he got in the driver’s side of the car. Joseph sat beside Leslie and brought him close. He brought the young boy into his arms. He was rubbing his back gently. Leslie curled against Joseph’s body. Sebastian frowned seeing the sight. Joseph had been shouldering this burden for years. Leslie was just a mess. He belonged in that place. However, he kept him close and cared for him. This was something a normal person would never do. That is why he was amazed with Joseph the more he learned about him. He just seemed to have to ability to balance a messed up life with a normal one. 

Detective Castellanos focused on the road ahead of him. It was silent in the car. The only sounds were the three breathing. No one wanted to disturb the silence that was built. Joseph kept comforting his child by rubbing his back and keeping him close. By the time they arrived to the apartment building Leslie had fallen asleep. Sebastian smirked a little at the sight. He got out of the car and opened the door on Leslie’s side. 

“I’ll carry him inside,” Sebastian said leaning down to pick him up. Leslie was practically like a child. He just had this innocence about him. Looking at how Joseph nodded his head he helped put his son in the detective’s arms. Sebastian was prepared to say something on how heavy he was, but he was so light. It was weird. He knew Joseph fed him well, but he was still so very light. “He doesn’t weigh much.” The words just busted out of him. 

“Yeah,” was the only reply he got as Joseph went into the building. Sebastian followed him. He felt Leslie curl into his body. This kid was honestly was mess. However, he kept thinking about how much worse would he be if Joseph had never taken care of him. Sebastian came to the apartment and put Leslie on his bed. The boy curled into a little ball. Joseph sighed moving his hair out his face. 

The two men went to the living room. Joseph was trying to relax, trying to tell himself that Leslie would be fine, but it was hard. He could not convince himself that his child would be safe. 

It was not until Sebastian placed a hand on his shoulder that he realized that he was not entirely alone. He was not alone for the first time in years. The younger man did not want to be a burden to his partner. He did not want to be a burden to anyone. This one time he felt like he could just relax and have Sebastian comfort him, even a little. It was just this moment that Joseph felt like he could have someone with him. He felt his heart beat faster being near Sebastian. He tried to calm down. 

Joseph was about say something to the man. He just felt like he had to say something. He did not get a chance to say anything; instead the knock on the door interrupted their silent moment. Joseph walked towards the door. He felt the hand leave his shoulder. He missed that warmth. There was something comforting about that. He opened the door to find his sister smiling widely. 

“Innocent,” she jumped and hugged. Joseph would normally be elated to hear the good news, but he was still worrying about Leslie. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Jojo. Sorry you couldn’t be there. The woman, I think her name was Alison, said that an emergency came up. Is Leslie alright?” 

“He’ll be fine,” Joseph said. Although in his mind he was a worried mess. Joseph never let on how he was doing when it came to raising Leslie. He just wanted to keep his life away from his family. “So, how do we want to celebrate?” Joseph quickly changed the subject. 

“I was thinking about going out. Only if Leslie is feeling up to it,” she added quickly. She then got wide eyed. “Right. I got a number for you. Someone thought you were adorable.” 

Joseph blushed deeply. “What do you mean you got a number for me?” He asked astonished by how she changed the subject. Sebastian snickered a little seeing how embarrassed he was. 

“Oh I’m sure it’s some cute shy girl,” Sebastian said slapping his shoulder playfully. Joseph’s blush got even redder. 

“Not a girl,” Mai clarified. “Some cute shy guy. Joseph, he’s your type.” 

“Some guy?” Sebastian asked looking at Joseph. His face was burning red. There were two things Joseph would keep secret from his partner. One of them was the scars on his hands. He never showed anyone the disgusting scars, unless he felt comfortable with them. The second secret was that he was gay. There was no reason to complicate things between each other. He did not want to make things weird with all the different views on being gay. 

Sebastian seemed fine with Mai because she is a woman and clearly not working with him, but Joseph was a different case. They would be spending a lot of time together and in many different situations. As far as Joseph was concerned his life was separate from Sebastian’s life. Although they had overlapped a little, he still was not ever going to be ready to tell his partner that he preferred men. 

“You didn’t know?” His sister question knocked him back to reality. She looked at Sebastian with a questioning look. “He’s gay. Joseph, how come you haven’t told him yet?” 

Joseph glared at her. “Just haven’t,” he said through his teeth. His sister noticed his anger. Her arms were held up. 

“Sorry,” she said. “I’ll just go now. See you later tonight.” 

With those words she left the apartment. Joseph honestly wished he had his gun in his hands to shoot his sister in the foot. He felt embarrassed. He felt rage. Everything that Joseph worked felt like it all vanished. Sebastian would probably loose all, if any, respect towards the smaller man. The silence was becoming too much. Neither of them were saying a word. Joseph began to prepare something is his mind. Thinking on maybe changing partners if the older man was uncomfortable with his sexual preference. Or maybe he just might ignore it like it was no big deal. And it wasn’t a big deal. He couldn’t help who he was, but Sebastian was different. He wanted approval from his partner just because they were working together. 

Joseph sighed looking to the older man, ready to talk about what just happened. He was ready to just tell him how things were and how they were going to be. “If you think I’m disgusted, I’m not,” the words left Sebastian’s mouth. He felt relief. “I don’t care about that stuff. All that honestly matters is that you’re good at your work. So, don’t sweat it.” 

The Canadian stared at him for a little, but nodded. “So, you want to celebrate with me and Mai?” Joseph decided nothing more needed to be said. The words Sebastian said were good enough. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Sebastian said looking at the door. “She’s crazy.” 

“I know,” he said. He began to take off his jacket. He walked over to the kitchen. Sebastian followed him. “Want a drink?”

“What do you have?” Sebastian asked. Joseph was trying to act natural, trying to act normal. 

“Tea,” Joseph said. “Lots of tea.” 

“Wouldn’t have figured other wise,” Sebastian commented. “So, where is does your family live?” 

“Mai travels a lot,” he said beginning to make the tea. “My other sister, Rosemary, lives in Ottawa as a surgeon. Parents live in Saint John like most of my family. I also have a lot of family in Japan, like my grandparents.” 

“You are an interesting man, Joseph Oda,” Sebastian said. The older man watched the younger make the tea with such care. He placed the cup in front of him. It was steaming hot. Sebastian was not much of a tea person, but he was willing to try something. “I just realized that we still have an open case. Since the woman isn’t guilty, it means the killer is still out there.” 

“Yeah,” he sighed drinking his tea. “I wish that was not the case, but it is. What do you think he was investigating?” 

The gruff man shrugged. “No way in knowing,” he said drinking the tea. He grimaced a little. Not sweet enough. “Everything that could have a possible lead was stolen.” Joseph nodded. “Anyways, I’m going to head back to my place. I’ll get a cab. See you later for the party.” 

“Uh, yeah,” he said forgetting that he drove him and Leslie here. “Are you sure that you don’t need me to drive you back?” 

“Positive,” the man shrugged. “Just relax and I’ll see you later.” He walked out of the apartment. Joseph sighed. Leslie then walked into the kitchen looking very confused. Joseph smiled a little. His main focus is finally awake and he can be in his element again. He looked at the teacup and felt his heart race. He really needed to get Sebastian Castellanos out of his head. 

 

At the celebration there was plenty of laughing and drinking. Mai tried making Joseph flirt with the waiter that served them. He kept refusing because it was embarrassing and Leslie was there. At the current moment he was amazed by how much Sebastian was drinking. He made knew that he would have to drive him home. Until then he was enjoying this. It was good for him and Leslie to actually be social. 

After the party ended Joseph loaded Sebastian into his car. He was laying in the back seat. Leslie sat up front. He was looking out the window. Joseph knew he would be seeing his sister very soon, however she had to return to New York to be with her girlfriend. It kind of pained the man a little that he did not have someone special like that. Joseph did have Leslie. That had to count for something. He then came to Sebastian's apartment building. He told Leslie to wait for him. Joseph got out and came to help Sebastian to his house. 

He was very heavy. “Alright, where are your keys?” He asked himself looking through his partner’s pockets. “Found them.” He unlocked the door. Joseph grimaced at the smell. He swore it smelled worse than last time he came here. 

“Don’t tell Myra,” he whispered as Joseph took him to his bedroom. He frowned hearing the name of a woman. After placing his partner on the bed he saw a picture of a much younger Sebastian and a beautiful woman. Joseph felt his heart twist uncomfortably. “Myra, is Lilly up?” Joseph felt his color drain from his face. His partner had a wife and a child. It was clear he lived alone, but he wondered where she and the child were. 

Joseph took of Sebastian’s shoes before pulling a blanket over him. His breathing evened out and it was clear the man was asleep. Joseph had to get out of here. After leaving the apartment he felt like a ton of bricks had just hit him. Everything felt like it froze where it was. He didn’t know why he felt this way, but he felt hurt. He should have known better. It’s only been two months since he met the man and he was feeling this pain. 

It did not matter. He walked out to the car to be with the only person that mattered in his life. He then remembered that his sister left a number at his apartment. Perhaps he should go out on a date. That would be good for him. That would get his mind off of Sebastian Castellanos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why Mai? Why? Poor Jojo is all embarrassed and wants to shoot your foot now! Well, either way hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think! Like always, let me know if you have any ideas for anything involving this universe. Love all your faces. Seriously, the love I get from you guys keeps me wanting to write! All of you are amazing! Ask any questions if you have any, I don't bite! See you all next Sunday! 
> 
> Side note: Anyone watch The Walking Dead? If so, who hates Morgan?


	14. Something Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph takes a personal day to clear his thoughts. That fails epically. Sebastian does not like the fact that his Jojo is missing.

There was something not right at the station. Joseph was not there. This disturbed him very much so. He did not understand, but he just felt very odd not seeing the Japanese Canadian sitting across from him. Sebastian drank his coffee while drinking staring at a case file. It was a simple case, but he still wanted to know where Jojo was. He saw Alison walk into the office. He thought that surely she would know where his partner was. 

He came to the office. She was doing some paper work. Sebastian knocked on the door lightly. “What?” She did not even look up from her papers. 

“Do you know where Joseph is?” The man asked a little timidly. Chief Callahan seemed to be in a bitter mood today. 

“He took leave,” she replied plainly. “Simple as that.” Alison looked up from her papers to see a confused Sebastian. “Don’t you have a case to be doing? Shoo.” She motioned for him to leave her office. 

Not one wanting to get in an argument with his boss, he left. Now he was curious as to why he took leave. He would be back, but as to why he was gone made him go mad. He had half a mind to ask Ruvik to track him down just so he would know that his partner was safe. However, that was a bad idea and he would never do that. Sebastian just did not know what to do. This was so unlike him in every possible way. He finally decided to give him a call. 

 

 

Joseph’s phone rang the ring tone he had chosen for Sebastian. Joseph was asleep, his hair a perfect mess. Leslie was asleep in the same bed as him. He had a nightmare and felt more comfortable with someone beside him. He woke up to the call. He grabbed the phone and answered it. 

“Hello,” the teenager said. He rubbed his eyes. 

“Leslie?” Came the older man’s voice on the other line. “Where is Joseph?” 

“Sleeping,” he answered sitting up straight. Joseph was not stirring. Leslie yawned. The boy tried to add something else, but he just could not bring himself to talk. He could easily text, but talking was different. 

“Just have him call me back when he’s awake,” Sebastian finally said with a sigh. Leslie frowned, but he was too tired to care at the current moment. His eyes began to close. “Take care.” Sebastian hung up. Leslie just fell on the pillow. 

Joseph opened his eyes feeling the boy fall on the pillow. He looked at the sleeping figure. He could not believe on how much he had grown. Joseph kept thinking how when he finally won that trial, how when he finally got custody of the boy that he was so small. Leslie was bruised and shaking. He just looked at him with the biggest eyes he had ever seen. Leslie only needed someone to love and care for him. 

The man sat up and went to the kitchen. He sighed. He actually has a date tonight. Leslie would be fine for a few hours. Joseph still felt a little pain in his heart thinking about a few days ago. He could not get rid of this feeling. He decided that taking a step back and spending time with Leslie was the best choice. Besides he missed the kid. 

He learned about his friend at school and how he was the son of his boss, which was fine by him. All that mattered was that Leslie was happy. Even so, Joseph felt like Leslie deserved so much more. He sighed thinking about the falling out he had with his family. He thought about how his first partner was very cold towards him for a long time, but she warmed up to the idea of Leslie. However, by that time he moved to a new city. And after a year of being there he moved to Krimson City. 

Joseph sighed making his tea. He just wished he knew why he felt this pain in his heart. He walked back to his room where Leslie was wrapped up in blankets. The only thing visible was his head. Joseph smiled a little. Leslie was just innocent. The idea of Ruvik getting anywhere near him was just disturbing. 

He shuddered thinking about that man. He walked away from his room to compose his thoughts. Joseph sighed sitting on the couch. The man wondered what was going on through his mind. Joseph just needed time to think. He needed time to collect his thoughts. He could not understand why he felt hurt. Sebastian had been married and had a child. That was normal for someone like him. Then why did he felt hurt knowing that he was still in love with his wife? Then why did he fell like everything was ripped from him when he heard that name? Myra. 

Joseph, not one wanting to be out of the loop, grabbed his laptop and went on the database to search for anyone with that name. Besides, he was curious. He wanted to know who the woman was that claimed Sebastian heart. Joseph just had to know. 

 

The next day arrived. Sebastian stared at his phone. Still no word from Joseph. Leslie must have forgotten or was not paying attention. He sighed. The entire time he was working the previous day he kept hearing Joseph over his shoulder as he asked suspect questions. “I wouldn’t do that,” Sebastian would hear or “Don’t throw that, Seb.” It bothered him to no end. He did not realize that he missed the other man so much. 

He drank his coffee. Sebastian poured more sugar into the black substance. The man walked over to his desk thinking about Joseph. This honestly needed to stop. His partner was an adult. His partner had a child. His partner could take care of himself. He thought back to the last time he saw Joseph in the office. He seemed kind of distance. Castellanos hated situations like this. The man was not good with his emotions. Never kept them under control and never understood them. 

After playing with the thoughts in his mind, the man decided he would grow a pair and call Joseph. The phone rang. He walked outside taking out a cigarette. He began to smoke. 

“Hello,” he heard Joseph’s voice on the other end. He smiled knowing he was all right. 

“Hey,” he began, not knowing where to go with this conversation. “You aren’t at work.” 

“Uh, yeah,” Joseph replied on the other line. He wondered if he was doing that blush. “I took Leslie out of school for a few days because of what happened. Nothing to worry about.” 

Sebastian could tell it was a load of shit. “Right,” he went along with the lie. 

“Anyways, I have to go,” Joseph suddenly said. “I’m seeing someone for coffee.”

“So, you’re going out with the guy your sister gave that number to,” Sebastian said smirking a little.

“Shut up,” Joseph laughed. “I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” He hung up the phone. Sebastian frowned. He felt… jealousy? That was a strange feeling. He hadn’t felt that since Myra dated that fancy lawyer before they began dating. But it was different with Joseph than Myra. He just did not know how to feel up about him. The feelings were just a mess of tangles. Joseph running through his mind was a bad thing. He took out his flask and took a quick sip. He wanted to forget his feelings and that this man was bothering him so much. Sebastian just wanted to feel normal. He then got either the most brilliant idea or the most stupid idea ever. He smirked at it thinking it would be nice. 

 

Joseph drank his tea. Leslie was curled on the couch reading a book. Joseph just came back from the coffee shop. It was a disaster. He decided that being honest about having a kid was a good idea. Little did he know that the guy was not interested in having children. It kind of pained him that not many people he dated wanted kids. Some were fine with him having a kid, but then they met Leslie. They met the neurotic little mess that is his son. It kind of pained him hearing some of the guys he dated say that the kid is worthless or not worth his effort. 

No one saw Leslie the same way he did. Very rarely did he meet someone that thought he was the cutest kid he had ever seen. His eyes were just so wide and his smile, when he actually did smile, was so adorable. Then when he laughed, which was a true treat, it felt like he was truly happy. Joseph looked over to the boy. He changed positions from curled up to lying on his stomach. The book was now lying in front of him. He smiled at the scene. Leslie seemed at peace. He looked like a normal kid for once. Despite his white hair and pale skin, he actually seemed like he was normal. 

His son looked up noticing that he was being watched. Joseph gave a little smile. He looked at the time. It was getting late. “I’ll start making dinner,” he turned around and began getting the pans together. Joseph will have to admit that when first adopted Leslie he was not the best at cooking, but having a child to raise did tend to make him learn quickly. 

Suddenly he heard the buzzer for the apartment go off. He froze. Leslie got up and answered it. He heard him allow someone up. He could not quite recognize the voice before Leslie opened the door. He was about to say something when he saw Sebastian standing there with a pizza. Joseph was about to say something. He was actually rather shocked in all honesty. 

“I thought you could use some food,” Sebastian said holding the pizza. Leslie grabbed it and walked to the kitchen table. His partner smiled. “So, how was the date?” 

Joseph shrugged grabbing some plates. “Needless to say I won’t be seeing him again,” he answered setting the plates up. “He freaked when I told him about Leslie.” 

Sebastian laughed. “Well, a kid is a big deal,” he said. “I certainly wasn’t ready when I had my little girl.” 

“I heard you had a family once,” Joseph said looking at him. Sebastian looked at him with a confused look. No one ever talked about his family. However, Joseph could have done some research. “If I’m not being too forward, what happened to your wife and child?” 

“Lily was killed in a fire,” he said sadly thinking about that truly awful day. “Maybe six months after that I found divorce papers in my apartment and Myra had just vanished. No word from her. She turned in her notice at the same time. For the longest time we had a search party just to find her, but it’s still an open case.” 

Joseph felt a pang of guilt in his heart for bring up such bitter memories. “Seb, I’m sorry…” 

“It’s fine,” he said raising his hand. “Honestly. Besides, that’s something in the past.” 

“Are you sure?” Joseph looked at him with concerned eyes. Sebastian nodded his head. 

“Positive,” he said. “I mean, we’re partners and deserve to know a little more about each other, right? Now, let’s eat. Leslie looks like he’s starving.” 

Joseph laughed lightly while sitting at the table. Sebastian began to ask Joseph about the guy he saw briefly. Joseph just shrugged. It was not anything serious. It was just to get his mind off his partner, but that failed miserably. He did not tell him that was the reason he decided to date someone. Instead he just brushed it off as nothing. 

The pizza was soon eaten. Leslie was curled up on the couch watching a movie. Joseph was on the opposite side of the couch. Sebastian sat on a recliner drinking some water. He found that he was not a fan of tea for the most part. Unless Joseph allowed him to stick almost half a bag of sugar into the cup, but that was not going to happen. Instead he would drink water. Besides if he really wanted something good to drink he would use what was left in his flask. 

The movie they were watching was something about wizards fighting some snake guy. Sebastian did not really care. Leslie seemed to enjoy it. As long as the young teenager was happy he would be fine with anything. After the movie Leslie said goodnight the two men before heading to his room. Joseph smiled a little. Sebastian then figured he should leave. He came here for what he needed to do and that was to make sure that Joseph was safe. Now that he knew that he was the man thought it would be good to leave. 

“Well, I better leave,” Sebastian said stretching a little. Joseph looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. “I’ll see ya when you come back to the department.” 

“You can stay here,” Joseph said almost too quickly. He blushed thinking on how that must have sounded to him. “I mean, if you want. It’s late and raining and I wouldn’t want you wreck or fall asleep at the wheel. Besides, partners don’t let each other get into wrecks.” 

“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Sebastian smiled a little. “I’ll be fine.” 

“I insist,” Joseph said sternly. “It will be fine. You can sleep on the couch. Yeah. Everything will be fine.” He gave a reassuring smile to the older man. Sebastian knew that he would not stop until he agreed to stay over. 

“Fine,” he sighed. “I don’t have a change of clothes though.” 

“Let me get something that might fit you,” Joseph said walking to his room. Sebastian followed after him. His room was still in perfect condition. He looked across the hall to see Leslie curled into the blanket shaking a little. He decided while Joseph searched through his closet to comfort the kid a little. He touched the white hair gently. Leslie stopped shaking so much. Sebastian smiled. This kid was honestly adorable. He just had this innocence about him that just made him want to protect it so much more. 

He heard Joseph clearing his throat. The gruff man turned around to see him holding some clothes that did actually seem a little too big for his slimmer partner. “These are some old clothes an old partner bought me,” he explained laughing a little. “They were kind of too big.” 

Sebastian left to take the clothes. He was stood in front of him just a few inches taller. Joseph gulped a little hoping his partner wouldn’t see the blush because of the darkness. “Thanks,” he took the clothes. Joseph moved out of the way. Sebastian walked into the bathroom to change and Joseph took deep breaths. This was bad. Like really bad. He cannot have these feelings towards a man he was working with. It was nonsense. 

The Canadian went to his room. He changed quickly. He heard Sebastian walk out. Joseph came out of his room holding a pillow and a blanket. The man gave it to his partner with a small smile. “Well, goodnight,” he said trying to rush to his bedroom. “See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Jojo,” he heard the man said. Joseph lay in his bed thinking about the gruff and robust man sleeping on the couch in his living room. This was pitiful. He honestly felt like his heart would jump out of his chest. Just being around the man made every sense in his body go wild. However, he can control his feelings. He has done so for so many years and can continue through this. Closing his eyes he just hoped that he would not freak out when he saw the man on his couch in the morning. 

 

The next day Jojo woke up to the smell of something cooking. He stretched. His hair was a mess, but that did not matter. Coffee was calling his name. He placed his glasses on as he went in the direction of the kitchen. He saw Leslie drinking some milk with pancakes. He wondered how they appeared in his house, but then he saw a very much shirtless Sebastian wearing his white and green-stripped apron. His mouth dropped open seeing him like that. No. He had to keep his composure. No time drooling over those arms. 

Brushing back his hair he walked into the kitchen. “Can you put on a shirt?” Joseph asked grabbing the coffee pot. Sebastian laughed realizing he was not wearing a shirt. “Seriously, that is not sanitary.” 

“Oh forgive Mr. Oda,” Sebastian mocked with a smile still on his face. He put on his shirt. “I got hot last night. Kind of forgot about it.” 

“It’s fine,” Joseph said. He was a little upset that the body would be out of his line of sight, but at least he would not be starring at his partner with hungry eyes. Sebastian then left to get changed in the bathroom. 

“How did you sleep?” Joseph asked Leslie deciding it would distract him. 

“Fine,” he answered. He kept eating the pancakes Sebastian had made for him. The older man then came out of the bathroom fully clothed. 

“I need to really leave now,” Sebastian said. “See ya later. Leslie, hope you feel better.” With those words he was out of the door. Joseph sighed. 

This was not how his new life in Krimson City was supposed to be like. He was supposed to get a job as a detective, but instead he decides that his partner is incredibly attractive and is kissable. Joseph could get his feelings under control. He can. Besides, there were plenty of fish in the sea, no matter how cliché that is. There were other attractive men besides Sebastian Castellanos. Although it felt like his face was the only one that truly mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overall a domestic chapter. I will be getting violent and into other stuff very soon. I just like slow build. I am sorry for that! Anyways, hope you like the chapter! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think and if you have any ideas! Always looking for oneshots for the Our Messed Up World Series. Thank you! Keep being beautiful and amazing! See you next Sunday!


	15. The Rookie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A case of two missing mental patients unfold. Along with a new case comes a new member to the detective duo, Juli Kidman!

Six months had passed since the trial with Mrs. Winters. Since that time things have settled down and Joseph has gotten his pesky feelings under control. Cases have been regular and the two detectives have formed a friendship where they understood how they thought. Some of the officers referred to them as the true good and bad cop. Joseph did not enjoy that nickname too much, being as he sometimes lost his temper when questioning a suspect. Sebastian found it humorous because it was just an interesting idea. Joseph would always roll his eyes. 

Also during these six months Joseph learned more about Myra and Lilly thanks to their Chief. He just wanted to know more. He learned that Myra was Sebastian’s first partner. There was not much about Lilly other than she was the sweetest girl to have ever graced this world. Alison told him how both Myra and Sebastian went over the deep end when she died. Myra drowned herself in work and Sebastian resorted to drinking. Eventually Myra turned in her notice and divorce papers and left without a trace. After that Sebastian went harder on drinking to go as far to drinking during his work. Alison added that if there were any signs of Sebastian drinking on the job again to report it to her immediately. She did not want anything like that happening again. Joseph agreed because he would not want anything to happen to his partner. He felt sorry for Sebastian more so than he already did. Then there was the small matter that he still had this massive crush on the man. That only made him feel more guilty for some reason. 

Even despite knowing that the man was most likely straight he still found that he was falling for the man. He would never reveal or act on these feelings. He rarely ever did act on feeling alone. Joseph was a very practical human. He just found it hard not to fall for the man. He treated Leslie so well and understood him. Yet, he could not have him. However, as long as he was able to hide his feelings and work with him that would be good enough. 

Now today marked something special in the police department. A rookie had just entered through the doors. She was a tall woman, or perhaps the heels she wore. The rookie wore a white button up shirt and a pair of jeans. Most of the guys in the office took in her appearance, and maybe one or two women. The new girl walked to the office that belonged to the Chief. Joseph looked at Sebastian with a raised eyebrow. Seb gave him a questioning look. Joseph rolled his eyes and motioned to the door. He then gave an ah look. This was something else that had happened during the last six months. They were able to silently communicate with one another. Some of the officers found it a little creepy and others simply did not know about their silent conversations. It had been proven very useful. During shootouts and other situations. 

Suddenly Chief Callahan called in the two detectives into her office. “Told ya,” groaned Sebastian getting up. Joseph rolled his eyes while following him. They came into the office. The rookie sat in a chair. 

“Juli Kidman, these are the two detectives I am assigning you too,” she began. “Sebastian Castellanos and Joseph Oda. I trust you two will teach Julie anything she might need to know and be good mentors for her. As I was saying before, they are some of my top men.” 

“I look forward to working with you,” Juli said with a small smile forming on her face. 

“And you too,” Joseph replied. Sebastian simply nodded. 

“Now,” Chief Callahan began standing up. “You should probably give her a tour. I’ll be assigning a case to you soon.” 

They left the office. Julie looked at the two men. Joseph began telling her how things operated in the office and that she would be with the two of them. She looked at their desks and saw a picture of Joseph with a white haired boy. 

“Is your kid?” She asked holding the picture up. Juli was honestly just as surprised as Sebastian to discover he had a kid when he was so young. 

“Yeah,” Joseph said. “My adoptive son. His name is Leslie.” 

“You’ll love him,” Sebastian said. A small smile came on Juli’s face. 

“That’s good,” she said placing it down. “I actually really like kids. I used to take of my younger brother all the time.” 

Joseph smiled a little. Callahan then showed up behind them holding a case file. “I found something,” she said giving Joseph the file. “This one is perfect for a rookie.” 

“Wish I had a Chief like you when I first started,” Joseph said under his breath. Kidman looked at the gruff man for an answer. He shrugged knowing the real story. “Why is the last name Jimenez in here?” 

“Because in the last two months two of his patients have gone missing,” Alison answered. “Marcelo Jimenez works over at Beacon Mental and often meets with outside patients. However, one patient that resides there and one from the outside have gone missing. Both families want them found right away and they believe Marcelo is responsible for their disappearances.” 

“Great,” Joseph said under his breath. “Another Jimenez.” 

“Do you have a history with Marcelo?” Alison asked looking at him directly.

“His brother,” he answered giving the file to Sebastian. “Valerio treated Leslie awhile back. Did not have a good experience.” 

Alison simply nodded. “Well, you’ll be meeting with the man within an hour to search the place,” she said walking away. She turned to look at Juli Kidman. She then turned back to her office. Joseph had to admit that things have gotten better. Ruvik had not made any surprise phone calls. That made Alison seem more relaxed and in charge. 

“Well, let’s go see the man,” Sebastian said to the two people he was with. Joseph nodded. Juli followed them out to the car. She was in the back seat. Sebastian started the car. He looked back at the woman. She was looking at her nails. “So, Kid, you’re awfully quiet.” 

“I don’t really know much about you,” she said looking at the back at him. He saw a good look in her eyes. Lilac colored eyes that just shined. Sebastian would like her. “So, how do you know Marcelo had a brother?” 

“Like I said, I dealt with him before with Leslie,” he answered. He grimaced thinking about the condition Leslie was in when he finally got him. “His brother kind of vanished after that though, which personally I would like to have seen him behind bars.” 

“I like it when you talk that way,” Seb joked. “So threatening.” Juli laughed a little. “We got her to laugh.” Joseph rolled his eyes. 

“I better not be dealing with two of you now,” Joseph said with a smile on his face. “The world would die if there were two of you.” 

“Please,” Sebastian said. “Both Kid and I are really attractive. The world would be thrilled.” 

“Kind of agree with him on that,” she said with a smile on her face. Joseph rolled his eyes. 

They soon arrived to Beacon Mental Hospital. He had not been here in nearly half a year. This place was haunting. Just knowing there was some crazy person just a few feet below him was enough to disturb him. Joseph took notice of a car that was a lot nicer than Sebastian’s car. Juli noticed it as well. They both exchanged looks before getting out of the car. The three walked into the building. One thing that all three of them could agree that was the creepiest of all was the man and woman wearing nice fitting suits leaving the office of Marcelo Jimenez. The woman had a bob cut and the man was completely bald. 

They ignored the three detectives as they left. Sebastian looked at Joseph with a raised eyebrow. Joseph raised his eyebrow as well in a way telling him he did not know who the hell those people were or why they were here. Sebastian knocked on the door. A man with dark brown hair answered it. He had a beard and looked to have a thinning hairline. 

Joseph knew he was glaring at the man they were about to question. He had not even begun to talk and already Joseph hated this Jimenez person. “Krimson City Police,” Sebastian began. “I’m Detective Castellanos. This is Detective Oda and Kidman. We are here to ask about two of your missing patients.” 

“Oh yes, them,” he said grimly. “Terribly sorry, but I’m afraid I will be of little use.” 

“I think you know more than you are saying,” Juli said. The man looked at her for a moment. “One of your patients was locked up in his room the day he vanished. Also the female patient that went missing often locked her door incase of intruders because of her neurotic behavior.” 

Sebastian looked over at Joseph with a look that said that she is really smart and observant. Joseph shrugged with a small smirk saying he knew. “But I don’t see how that would connect to me,” Jimenez defended himself. 

“Who were those people?” Joseph asked. “Clearly they were here for some purpose. Mind telling us as to why.” 

“Grants,” he said simply. “I’m trying to provide more money for the hospital. This place does good work.” 

Sebastian would like to argue with that considering they were housing a lunatic not too far down from where they were standing. In fact Ruvik’s existence at the place was kept a secret except for a select few people. Sebastian knew maybe a two of them, but did not know who the others were. 

“Doctor Jimenez, perhaps you can provide us with some insight as to who could possibly want your patients and as to why,” Juli reasoned. 

“The families were very well off,” he said. He clearly wanted the three gone. “Ask the nurses that were on duty that night. I certainly did not have any reason to kidnap my own patients.” 

Joseph gritted his teeth. This man was hiding something. He just wanted to strangle him. He kept seeing a beaten up Leslie along with Valerio’s face. “Do you mind if we look at their personal files?” He asked with a smile on his face. “And take a look at the room the day your patient was taken?” 

“I suppose so,” he said walking into his office. Sebastian put a comforting hand on shoulder He could sense the stress coming from him. It was the same thing any time it involved Leslie. Sebastian looked at the messed up office. It looked fresh. He came back with the two files. “Follow me.” He began leading the way down the hallway. As they walked Joseph saw a familiar face. Doctor Roberts walking down the hallways. The man saw Joseph and instantly stopped the group. 

“Mr. Oda,” he said with a kind smile. “How is Leslie doing? It’s been awhile since I have seen.” 

“He’s doing great,” he said with a kind smile. Although he hated having Leslie’s name being mentioned around someone like Jimenez. The man even seemed like he seemed to know that name. “He’s had on panic attack after that, but that is the only one.” 

“Good to hear,” he said. He then noticed the two other detectives. “Are you about Charlie going missing?” 

Joseph nodded his head. “Would you know anything?” He asked. 

“I’m afraid not,” he said. “He was in Doctor Jimenez’s direct care.” 

“I see,” he could sense the uneasiness of the man in front of him. “Thank you. Take care.” 

Doctor Roberts left. Joseph looked at them and motioned for them to get moving. The three then came to the room. Juli began looking at the lock. Nothing seemed to be tampered with. The windows were also not broken. Joseph wrote something down in his notes. Sebastian thought the whole disappearances were weird. Not only did this Jimenez person seem to be keeping secrets, but both of these patients were in his direct care. 

Marcelo Jimenez looked like he was in a hurry, but there was no way he was going to leave the three detectives here. Finally they had looked at all they needed to look at. Joseph told him that they would be looking through the patient files and that they would be very useful. He told him that if there was any more information to call them immediately. Marcelo assured them that if anything appeared that he would tell him right away. Joseph seemed to roll his eyes at this mention. Sebastian actually was used to the way Joseph kept a calm demeanor, but he had never seen his partner this cold before. It was rather strange. 

After they left Sebastian gave a deep sigh. He told the two to wait up while he had a smoke. Joseph pressed him to just get back into the car and he can smoke while they went to talk with the second family. They got into the car. Juli was now sitting up front while Joseph drove. Sebastian was forced to the back because of his habit. 

“Sorry if I’m prying, but what did Doctor Jimenez’s brother do to Leslie?” Juli asked. She seemed like she was genuinely concerned. 

Joseph sighed gripping tightly onto the steering wheel. “Leslie was in Valerio’s care when I adopted him,” he thought about the other patients they found that were in either just as bad condition as Leslie or worse. “When he came to live with me there were bruises almost all over him. My partner and I did some investigating and found that the nurses he hired were abusive towards the patients and so was he. But he never was arrested and he vanished.” 

“That’s awful,” Juli said leaning against the seat. She looked at her nails. It was kind of like a nervous action she did. “What made you adopt him?” 

“Long story,” Sebastian answered for him. Joseph nodded his head. Julie seemed to understand. She looked out the window. “Did you have any siblings?” 

“I have a brother,” she answered quickly. Joseph gave a look to Sebastian not to bring it up again. He seemed to take that hint and went back to smoking. Joseph then focused back on the road. They would be meeting with the husband of one of the missing persons. He tried thinking about the case and the notes he took, but all that came to mind was Jimenez. They were in his care. The two patients were in his direct care and now they just vanished. He then thought about Leslie. 

He thought about the shaking mess of purple and blue that looked at him with such big eyes. Joseph hated that man and the hell he put Leslie through. Marcelo is no different. He was hiding something and Joseph was determined to find out. And to figure out that case he needed to find those two missing patients. All he had to do was think about this logically. 

The patient that resided outside and in her own home vanished first. At first the husband thought it was due to her disorder, but after two weeks of being missing he knew something was wrong. The second patient vanished much more recently. All he did was look through the files. He can do that when they arrived back to the station. He just hoped he had enough time to pick up Leslie. Maybe he should just drop him off at the apartment. He could take care of himself, for the most part. 

He had too much going on in his head. Joseph soon realized that he was in at the apartment. Juli and Sebastian got out of the car. Joseph was not far behind the two. They came to the apartment. The husband opened the door. He was an average looking person with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. The man gave a small hello with a worried smile. He allowed the three to come in. Joseph took out his notebook. 

“Now, Mr. Prine, can you recall the night your wife vanished?” Joseph asked. 

“Yes,” the man said running a hand through his hair. “Well, it was after a visit with Doctor Jimenez and she was given a refill on her prescription. It was a normal day. She was acting no differently than normal. But she can have sporadic behavior. Which is why at first her disappearance did not alert me right away. She would have gone to Beacon or somewhere else familiar, but I checked all those places a day after she vanished. It was not until I discovered that no one at her normal places said she showed up. I don’t know what happened to my wife, but she clearly was targeted for some reason. I just want her back.” 

“Don’t worry, we’ll find her,” Juli said softly to him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“Were there any signs of struggle?” Sebastian asked. 

“I have sleeping medication so I wouldn’t know,” he explained. 

Joseph wrote it down in his notebook. It was obvious that he was telling the truth. It was not like the man was hiding anything from him. His wife was missing. This man had no reputation to uphold. Julie began talking to him about his wife. It was clear she was trying to get more information. Joseph liked how she went about things. For the next thirty minutes they talked with the man about if there was any other place she could be and to contact them with any new information. He told them that he would. 

The three detectives left. Sebastian got in the driver’s side of the car, since he was not going to smoke. Joseph then saw the time and his face dropped. Leslie had been waiting for nearly thirty minutes. He had not realized how long they were in there. “Seb, we need to get Leslie,” he informed him. He nodded his head. “You get to meet my son.” 

“Have you been raising him his entire life?” Juli asked. 

“For the past five years,” he smiled. Juli couldn’t hide the smile. The young rookie decided that Joseph Oda was an interesting man. It was not a bad thing, but she often worried if Leslie was holding him back. He decided to take on such a responsibility at such a young age. 

Soon they came to Leslie’s school. The kid was sitting down reading a book. He looked at to see the three detectives. He hesitated when he saw the strange female in the back seat. Joseph gave him a reassuring smile letting him know it she was a friend. The teenager walked to the car and sat beside the woman. Juli smiled gently at the kid. 

“I’m Juli Kidman,” she said. 

“N-nice to meet you,” he said in a timid voice. She thought he was honestly really shy. It suited him. “A-are you new?” His brow furrowed. 

“I am,” she answered. “I’ll be working with your dad.” 

The white haired boy gave a shy smile. “Leslie, I’m just going to drop you off at home,” Joseph said. The boy gave a worried look. “It’s nothing serious. I just won’t be getting home until very late tonight. There are leftovers that you can eat though. Will you be fine?” 

Leslie nodded his head. “I can cook,” he answered. Joseph felt a big sense of relief. Leslie had been taking on more responsibility lately and it made things a lot better. He still worried about his son. There would always be reasons for him to be worried. Juli and him seemed to be getting along well. She talked to him about school and treated him like a normal kid. 

They dropped Leslie off. Joseph felt guilty about leaving him, but at the same time he had a job to do. “He’s a sweet kid,” Juli interrupted his thoughts. “So, how long have you two been dating?” 

Sebastian and Joseph gave the same look to each other before looking back at Kidman. She seriously thought they were dating. “We aren’t dating,” Joseph choked out in an almost laugh. “I’m actually seeing someone else.” 

“Sorry,” she said. “But just how you two were acting I figured you both had been together for awhile.” 

“No,” Joseph said. “We are not dating. Just partners.” 

Juli nodded, though she did not believe them. Sebastian stayed silent through the entire interaction. The rest of the ride the man stayed silent. Joseph would find it odd, but honestly it was a bit awkward that she even brought up that subject. The Canadian tried very hard to repress his feelings. But at least he was seeing someone else. 

“Who are you seeing?” Juli asked with a small smirk on her mouth. 

“Conner the coroner,” Sebastian answered with a smirk. Since Joseph had started seeing him he loved using that little nickname he gave him. He had been seeing him roughly three months. He knew about Leslie, but had yet to meet him. “The two met when one of our suspects mysteriously died.” 

“I heard of that case,” she said. “They talked about the some crazy doctor that killed prostitutes. You two were on that case?” 

“Yup,” Sebastian smirked. “Kind of an interesting first case.” 

They arrived to the police station and it was right to work. Joseph pulled files on Marcelo Jimenez. Sebastian had Julie look through the patients’ medical files. Sebastian looked through the statements on all the victim’s family members. Joseph knew this would be a late night. Leslie was home alone. He worried, but he knew that it would be fine. Joseph just hated these long nights. Better prepare for Chinese takeout. 

Sure enough they had Chinese food to eat. Joseph made some joke about saying how this was a normal dinner for his friend. Sebastian could not agree more. As they ate it seemed that Kidman warmed up to them. She was still distant, but at least she was laughing. That was good enough. 

After they ate Joseph went back to looking through the files. He frowned seeing something that was rather out of the ordinary. A company that did not have the best track record was funding him. He recognized the name, but all he knew about them was that they were in the shadows. Almost like an umbrella company that had their hand in almost anything. However, this particular company did not seem like they would be interested in mental illness research. Mobius was the name of the company. He frowned. He went to do some further research into this company, but found nothing but locked away files. Joseph groaned leaning against his chair. 

Sebastian took notice of this. He approached his partner with a concerned look. “Hey, Jojo, is something wrong?” The man leaned against the desk. 

“I found something interesting,” he said. Julie came behind Joseph and leaned against him. “Doctor Jimenez was being funded by some umbrella company. However, not many of their businesses succeeded and many of their projects don’t involve mental illnesses. Just seems rather odd.” 

“It does seem odd,” Kidman agreed looking at the files. “Mobius?” 

“Yeah,” he took off his glasses. “God, what time is it?” 

“It’s roughly two in the morning,” Sebastian answered. Joseph gave a loud sigh. “Tired?” 

“Maybe I just need sleep,” he said standing up. “I’ll be on the couch. Wake me in an hour.” 

“Can I sleep too?” Juli asked looking at the older man. 

“Don’t see why not,” Sebastian shrugged. “I’ll continue working. I’ll wake you two up in an hour or two.” 

Joseph smiled lying on the couch. Julie slept on the other couch. Sebastian looked at the two sleep detectives. He smiled a little looking at him. He liked Juli. She was smart and had a good head on her shoulders. The older man thought she reminded him a lot of Myra when she would be working. Julie still kept her distance. However, she was growing on him. It was honestly starting to feel like he had people he could rely on. 

Sebastian walked over to a sleeping Joseph. He sighed thinking about Leslie being home alone. He grabbed Joseph’s apartment keys. Castellanos thought it would be a good idea to check up on Leslie. Besides, he is a teenager. He might get into trouble. And once he arrived back to the station he would wake up his two partners. Sebastian walked out of the station into the night air. The things he did for Jojo. He would not do this for anyone else, but his partner was a different case. He then thought about Mobius. Joseph was right. There was something going on. The company did not have the best track record or seemed interested in mental illness research. The question is this: what is Doctor Marcelo Jimenez doing with them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FUCKING LOVE JULI AND I DON'T CARE WHAT ANY OF YOU THINK! Anyways, now that my freaking out is out of the way, this version of Juli does have a tragic backstory, much like the real one. She also is not a Mobius agent. She's actually a rookie and on the good side. Yay! Also, Mobius. Yeah. That's a thing. Surprise! Well, I can't think of anything else to add. Thanks for being amazing guys! You are all wonderful to the kudos, comment, and bookmarks. Like always, if you have any questions do let me know! Keep being amazing! Love you all!
> 
> Side note: I FUCKING HATE MARCELO JIMENEZ!!!!!!!!


	16. Ruvik's Cell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see a little bit of Ruvik and his life in the cell.

Ruvik enjoyed solitary confinement for the most part. He was able to think. No one was around to disturb his thoughts or annoy him with pointless question. He still had his visitors, like some of the good doctors of Beacon Mental. They tried to help him, oh they tried to understand the man that he is, but the same result always happened. They would find him disturbing or disgusting. They would call him a mad man or a monster. They would insult his life’s work or praise it. In the end all the doctors called him the same thing: Ruvik. 

That is his name. Any trace of humanity he had left died long ago, he made sure of that. In his world there was no such thing as good people or innocent lives. They were all test subjects that he could cut open and figure out how they ticked. That is why he took on students. He tried to find people that were like him, but some could not possibly compare him. Some were found to be weak links and either killed themselves off or one of the other students killed them. It was like a game to him a little. He had wished that they were better equip for handling his life, but alas that is his fate. 

Instead he resided in this cell that one Sebastian Castellanos placed him inside. Just because he failed to predict his movements and clearly underestimated the man he must remain in this cell for life. At least he still had access to technology. It was difficult to convince the good people at Beacon to gain this privilege, but he always managed to get his way. 

He smirked looking at the computer screen. On the screen was a picture of a young Leslie Withers being treated by paramedics that are outside the old hospice. Blood covered his frightened face. It seemed almost fitting for the child. The fear in the young child's eyes is interesting. He wondered if he could recreate that look or how his mental state has changed since the incident. It would be interesting to see the child running for his life. To see the desperation in his eyes. The lights flickering broke his thought process. The power was not the best here in the basement. Ruvik went back to doing research into the Withers boy. He knew all he wanted on Joseph Oda. He knew about him rushing into the fire and gaining burns on his body, the nerve damage he sustained. It was truly entertaining. 

Ruvik stared at the picture for a few minutes before he heard footsteps coming down towards him. He did not feel like he should look up and acknowledge the presence. It was either Catherine trying to offer one of her donuts or the unlucky worker dropping off his food. He smirked thinking about possibly destroying someone’s confidence with a single word. The scarred man waited patiently for the victim. They stopped a few feet in front of his cell. 

“Not even going to acknowledge my existence?” He heard a familiar voice ask. Ruvik turned around to see Joseph Oda standing before him without his beloved partner. His hairless eyebrow rose up. 

“Here I thought I would be getting a jelly donut,” he mused in a monotone voice. Joseph stared at him like he was insane. Clearly Alison kept his file hidden. “And to what do I owe the pleasure for this little visit, Detective Oda?” 

“I need information,” he said in as cold as he could possibly be. “What do you know about Mobius?” 

Ruvik laughed a little. “And how did you discover about Mobius?” 

“In a case Sebastian and I are working on I discovered that a lot of Marcelo Jimenez’s research is being funded by this company,” he explained. Ruvik looked at him more directly. “I don’t know why this particular company is interested in mental illness research, but it has Doctor Jimenez’s name in the same file as the company.” 

“I take it because Valerio had Leslie in his care that you think it is suspicions,” Ruvik observed the way Joseph tensed up at the simple mention of his son’s name along with the man that first took care of him. 

“Just tell me what you know about Mobius,” Joseph snapped. Leslie’s name should never come from his mouth. Ruvik loved seeing this. 

“They are a company with no particular goals,” he explained to the detective. Joseph’s brows furrowed. “Where’s your boyfriend?” 

“Sebastian does not know about this meeting,” Joseph adjusted his glasses. Ruvik smirked a little. “Can we get back on topic?” 

“I like that reaction you gave,” he complimented. “Must get lots of those jokes when working with someone such as Detective Castellanos.” 

“Back on topic,” Joseph was determined not to let that this man change subjects. 

“So harsh,” he stood up and approached the glass. “Mobius honestly wants control. Perhaps since Jimenez is involved they are desperate. They need someone that is… corrupt enough to do whatever they want just for that said person to be funded. Valerio was also involved in Mobius.” He paused briefly looking Joseph in the eye. He could see the hatred for that name shine brightly. “In fact you kind of destroyed his career with them because of a certain boy.” 

“What are their goals?” Joseph asked. “Why get Marcelo involved? What does his brother or Leslie have to do with anything involving Mobius?” 

“Where is the fun in revealing secrets if you don’t discover them for yourself?” Ruvik asked with a mocking tone. Joseph’s eye physically twitched. He was getting a kick out of watching this man. “I might be inclined to help you if you would inform me on how Leslie’s mental state is.” 

Joseph froze looking at the man. His cold eyes bore into him like nothing he had ever seen or felt before. Being in the same presence as the man brought chills on his spine. He had the option to find out more about Mobius, but he was not letting this man know more about Leslie than he already did. His child meant more than his very life. This man did not need to learn anymore about his life. 

“No,” he said firmly turning around. He stopped mid turn to look at the man. “I’m certain do my own research.” 

“Then why did you come?” Ruvik asked. Joseph glared. “Never mind. I know the answer. But, just a little hint, Mobius is most likely involved in this case. I would be careful about who you can trust.” 

Joseph turned and walked down the long hallway. Ruvik sat down at his desk to look at the picture of the Withers boy. He grimaced thinking about the two Jimenez brothers. None of them were any good. His personal dealings with them did not leave the best taste in his mouth. They simply did not know how to conduct themselves. He closed his eyes to escape to the world he had created. Mobius being involved was never a good thing, but then again he was not involved in any of their research. 

He found himself in the destroyed city that he viewed the world as. It was his creation. It is his world. Ruvik breathed in deeply. The man began to walk through the lonely city. He missed when he had test subjects running around. Such as Sebastian Castellanos. That man that ruined his life, but was by far the most entertaining. Unlike the others that fed into their urges he fought them and managed to defeat him. However, he can still get into his mind, if he wanted to. He just could not have the same power as if he were in his mind. He would almost be like a ghost. 

Ruvik then felt a presence. A student of his. He turned around to see a woman wearing a black hooded jacket and tight pencil skirt. She was watching the world he created. He often hated when she would intrude like this. This time he almost welcomed her presence. She was his only window to the outside world. Ruvik approached her silently. His eyes bore into her skull. Clearly the woman could sense that and turned around. He saw a soft smile grace her face. 

During his time training her, the man always had the feeling that she had some sort of crush on him, but he would never return any feelings of interest or anything that would be considered affectionate towards her. She was just as broken as he was, if not more so, but then there was a side where she was able to function in a normal life. 

In her file the woman had been abused by her father and then sold for sexual favors by her mother. By the time she was fifteen she had run away from home to a friend’s house. It was no better there because they were drug dealers. The friend would often force her to transport their goods wherever they needed. Despite all this she clawed her way out of her hellish hole. Attending school where she studied psychology. That is how she first met him. It was a time before he became deformed. He could simply see that she was designed for his life. 

Yet he hated her very existence. She was able to control his machine and have a little control over his mind. Ruvik hated it when people were in at least a little control over his mind. She learned too quickly. “Ruvik?” She asked in a soft voice. 

“What do you want?” The man tilted his head a little. 

“I missed this place,” she said. Ruvik did not look at her. 

“What is Jimenez doing with Mobius?” He asked. She looked down holding her hands together. 

“It’s about your creation,” she answered. Ruvik glared at her. The woman backed away. “They are recreating it. And since Jimenez has studied your work and taken credit for some of it, they thought that perhaps he should be the head of the project. I’ve tried several times to gain leadership of the project, but considering Jimenez doesn’t trust me…” She trailed off. Ruvik grabbed her neck. Her held onto his wrist for dear life as he held her above the city landscape. 

“What is their progress?” He asked. 

“Everything is a failure,” she gasped. “Jimenez does not understand how it works and any test subjects we send in almost instantly die. Mobius is wanting to cut him out from the project.” His hand gradually began to loosen. Her eyes widened in fear that he will drop her. “They want you.” 

Ruvik brought her close to his eyes. Those cold eyes scanned over her like a wild animal looking at its food. The woman was silent. “And do they expect me to assist them if I’m behind bars?” Ruvik spoke with a calm voice. 

“I-I’m not sure,” she answered. His voice sent shivers down her spine. “Mobius is planning something to release you. I don’t know what yet.” The scarred man dropped her on the ledge. She quickly scrambled to get more in the middle of the building. The woman looked at Ruvik. 

“Is Mobius really that desperate?” He asked. A smirk appeared on his face.

“It appears so,” she answered. The woman stood up. In the time she spent studying with him she knew when he needed time to be alone. She began to walk away. 

“One other thing,” he said. She stopped where she stood. “Perhaps you can do a little… research for me. My old friend has a new partner by the name of Joseph Oda. Can you keep a watch over him and his child? I have a feeling they would make for interesting test subjects.” 

“Yes, sir,” she agreed. The woman vanished from his mind. Ruvik grinned thinking about Mobius needing his help. He did wonder what they had planned. 

Ruvik opened his eyes back in his cell. He noticed that someone left his food in the normal drop off box. The man just looked back at the screen of the paper involving Joseph Oda’s case. Turning off his computer he walked over and grabbed his food. Oh he was getting such an exciting feeling. Mobius in need of his assistance and then Joseph Oda coming to him about said company. It was all too exciting. He just could not wait until this little plan that Mobius had concocted came into existence. At long last he could smell fresh blood. At long last he can perform his experiments once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly wanted to write a short little Ruvik chapter. Figure we need a break and just see our favorite psychopath talk with Joseph and show off his Leslie obsession. Idk. I like it. I guess I'm shit. Yeah... Anyways, thank you guys for being amazing! For all the reads, kudos, comments, and just existing! Seriously, love that you all are alive! Hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving! I'm trying to write a oneshot for it. If you have questions ask or if you have any oneshot ideas! Always willing to listen! Love you all! See you next Sunday!


	17. Break Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit with Joseph's boyfriend, Conner. Sebastian is honestly the most jealous man in the entire world. Also, a serial killer from Sebastian's past returns?

Joseph watched Leslie doing his homework on the kitchen table. He drank his coffee as he watched the boy work quickly. He was honestly very smart, but what he went through caused him to become shyer than he already was. Thinking back to when he first started taking care of him it felt like he came a long way. Joseph could not even cook when he first got Leslie. It was laughable that he could even be a father. His own parents thought it was laughable. Now, he had grown into someone that can actually take care of a child. 

His phone then got a text message. It was from Conner. He was coming to visit him. Joseph smiled a little telling him that he’ll be waiting. He was going to let his newest boyfriend meet Leslie. They had been dating for about three months now. Conner knew about Leslie, that was no surprise. By this point everyone knew who Leslie was and thought he was great. Joseph could not ask for anything better than people accepting his son for who he is. 

The buzzer for his apartment rang. He told his boyfriend to come up and meet him. He then went over to Leslie. The boy was laying his head on the table now. Clearly bored or irritated by the homework he was given. Joseph smiled moving some of the white hairs out of his face. 

“Hey,” he said gently. Leslie looked up him with those piercing blue eyes. “Conner will be up here in a few and he’s going to meet you. I just don’t want you to be nervous.” 

“I-I’ll try not to be,” he said. Joseph smiled. “Bored.” 

“It won’t be in a few minutes,” he said. The door then knocked. Joseph went to answer the door. Conner was there, holding flowers in his hand. Joseph smiled when he saw the flowers. “Flowers, for me?” He joked. 

“No,” he laughed. “For Leslie. Where is the little guy?” 

“You do realize he isn’t five, right?” Joseph asked looking at the man. Conner just rolled his eyes. 

“Still a little guy in my eyes,” he replied. Leslie was hiding behind the couch looking at the man in the doorway. “Hey, what’s up?” 

“Homework,” he replied quietly. Conner looked at Joseph. 

“I told you he is shy,” Joseph said going to the kitchen with the flowers. Conner smiled at the kid with a nervous smile. 

“How’s school?” He asked. Leslie shrugged. He began to pace nervously. Joseph saw the interaction. This was going to be painful and awkward. Well, might as well try to enjoy his time with the two people in his life. 

 

 

Sebastian was laughing very loudly. Kidman was blushing a bright red at his laughter. Joseph walked to the desk holding his coffee in his hands. He looked at his partner and then to the rookie. He raised an eyebrow that was asking Sebastian what was so funny. The only response he received was his partner pointing to the blushing young woman. 

“Okay, why are we laughing at poor Kidman today?” Joseph asked. He gave a sympathetic smile towards the rookie. 

“Well,” he began with a smirk on his face. “Apparently, the Chief asked if Kidman could go under cover as a hooker for a case because she feels like Kid here will be a good one. Of course, our little rookie said no.” 

“I don’t want to walk around with my body exposed,” Juli defended herself. “I do have some self-respect.” Joseph rolled his eyes, but gave a small smile nonetheless. “So, how was Conner meeting Leslie?” 

Sebastian looked at Joseph with a bit of surprise. Joseph realized the only person he mentioned about his current boyfriend meeting his son was Kidman. “Yeah,” he blushed rubbing the back of his head. “During my day off yesterday Conner spent time with me and Leslie. It was good. Conner helped Leslie with his biology.” 

“Sounds like he is a great guy,” Sebastian commented. For some reason he felt a little jealous. There was no reason to feel this way, but he did. Sebastian stood up from his desk. “Sounds great.” He said under his breath as he walked away. Joseph looked at Kidman, but she just shrugged. 

Sebastian did not know why he felt jealous towards Conner for having Joseph. It almost seemed like he should be helping Leslie with homework and then snuggling with Joseph. He was too distracted by his thoughts to notice that he was pouring salt into his coffee. When he got to take a drink he spit it out. 

“You seem angry,” Alison approached behind him. “I have not seen you this angry since Ruben insulted your detective skills.” 

“Calling him Ruben again?” Sebastian asked. 

“It makes mentioning him easier,” she responded. Alison took his coffee and poured it out. “But seriously, what has gotten you so made that you pour salt into your coffee?” 

“Joseph,” he replied looking down. “I don’t know why. Just hearing about him and Conner irritates me.” 

Alison laughed a little. “Perhaps you’re jealous. Oh, it’s been so long since this department had a power couple. Don’t screw it up.” She pat on his shoulder before walking away. 

“What does that mean?” He asked. 

“Don’t make a fucking fool out of yourself,” she simply said. Sebastian rolled his eyes. He decided to put all that out of his mind and focus on the missing mental patients. The older detective came back to his desk without coffee. No one asked any questions. Joseph still thought that Mobius was responsible for the missing people. However, it was proving harder to even prove that considering their record. 

Instead they focused on Beacon Mental where the second missing person resided. They went as far as to ask the other patients around the cell if they saw something out of the ordinary, but they all said the same thing. Nothing. It became very frustrating and Sebastian even wondered why they were on this case. It was not even in their department. Alison insisted that it would be good for the rookie. But Sebastian felt like she was preparing for the two patients bodies to show up. 

The three detectives stopped for coffee. Juli looked through the notes, trying to figure something out, but there was honestly nothing to go on at this point. Sebastian just felt like they should give up. It was clear that they were gone for good. Joseph frowned. He hated having open cases. But it was beginning to feel like they were jus waiting for bodies to surface. Then Sebastian got a call. Chief Callahan. He answered the call before he frowned deeply. After talking with her, he hung up the phone. 

“It’s in our division,” he said grimly. Joseph and Juli looked at him with wide eyes. The car drive was in complete silence. It began to rain. The three detectives soon arrived to a crowded area where the police were keeping people away from whatever was so interesting. Joseph looked up to see they were near a rather tall building. Connelly approached them. He informed them that they were the two missing patients. Joseph felt sick to his stomach. Sebastian walked pass the crowd of people to look at the two dead bodies. 

The bodies were covered by a blue tarp. Sebastian kneeled down and removed a little bit of it to look at the bloodied corpses. He sighed knowing full well that they were to ones they were looking for. Juli and Joseph came up. Kidman looked at the second body. She gave a look at that resembled disgust and horror. Joseph knew that face because at one point he was also there. Joseph kneeled beside to Sebastian. The face of the woman looked blank. Sebastian sighed. 

“I should have known,” he placed the tarp back down. Joseph nodded his head. “They were clearly murdered, but as to who killed them is still out there.” 

Joseph wanted to question Marcelo again, but it would just bring everything into another loop. He then saw Alison approaching them. 

She had a solemn expression on her face. “I hate telling families this,” she told the two men. Juli came up to them. “At the current moment this is still an open case. Unless, someone has anything else to add.” 

“Marcelo,” Sebastian said. “He was acting rather odd when we discussed the mission patients.” 

“A viable lead, but we honestly cannot touch him,” she said. Joseph’s mouth dropped. “Before you get on your hating on the Jimenez boys soap box, it’s because of his position in Beacon Mental and other factors I’m not allowed to speak about.” 

“Then we have an open case,” Joseph sighed running a hand over his face. Kidman looked at their Chief with a concerned look.

“I’m sorry, Kid,” she said placing a hand on the young detective’s shoulder. “But there are other cases. Just, get back to the station.” She walked away. Joseph had honestly never seen her look this way before. Sebastian walked over to the woman to talk with her. Juli had gotten an umbrella and was holding it over her and Joseph’s heads. 

Joseph looked at the rookie and she seemed completely lost. “Kid, it will be okay,” he smiled at her. “We all have cases that are never your best. My first case was easily my worst.” 

“Is that where you met Leslie?” Juli asked. Joseph nodded. 

“You should have seen him when he was younger,” Joseph couldn’t hide his smile. “He just had a smile that was infectious. Through the years he’s gotten better. I think he started opening up a little more when we met Sebastian.” 

“And how long have you known each other?” Juli asked with a smirk.

“Only a little over half a year,” Joseph answered. He noticed the smirk. “We are just friends. Don’t give me that look.” 

“What look?” She then frowned looking at the bodies. “This is really inappropriate. We should… we should head back to the station.” 

“Yeah,” Joseph agreed. He called for Sebastian to come over. He was finished talking to their Chief. “Let’s go back to the station. We have reports to fill out.” 

“My favorite,” he said. They went back to the car. It was silent. No one wanted to say anything. Joseph honestly hated this. They never found the killer and the only possible suspect is Marcelo. However, he was untouchable. Kidman seemed to be more disappointed than the other two. Probably since this was her first case. Sebastian seemed stoic in expression. 

Once arriving at the station, Joseph saw Conner at his desk with lunch. Joseph smiled a little seeing his boyfriend. Sebastian just rolled his eyes and walked away in a different direction. Juli followed after the older man. He was grumbling about Conner. Somehow she could not resist teasing the poor older man. 

“Is someone jealous,” she leaned against the break room table. Sebastian rolled his eyes. 

“Who does he think he is?” Sebastian asked her, though it felt more rhetorical. “I mean, he should not be here distracting us from working. Fucking hate that guy.” 

Juli slapped his shoulder. “I can’t believe you said that,” the young woman was grinning from ear to ear. “You really are jealous!” 

“Why would I be jealous?” He asked the rookie.

She simply shrugged. Juli looked at the two men having their lunch together. Joseph was smiling and laughing. “Maybe because you like it just being you and Jojo,” she explained. “Also because the blond gets the tight Canadian ass of his.” 

Sebastian looked at her with an astonished look. He could not believe the words that left her mouth. But apparently he was not the only one that admired that ass that belonged to Joseph. “I can’t believe you right now,” he said. Juli pat his shoulder. “Seriously.” 

“Too bad little Jojo is with some other guy,” she sighed. Juli began making herself some coffee. Sebastian couldn’t help thinking this was similar to him and Myra so long ago. However, she was never with anyone and waited for him. Joseph had his own life to live. He just hated this feeling. He hated feeling jealous. All he wanted was to be the one laughing and eating lunch with Joseph. Sebastian decided to get his coffee, with an indeterminate amount of sugar in it, and walked back over to his desk. He found this all sickening. 

After an hour Conner finally left. Sebastian could not be happier about the man leaving. Joseph soon got back to work. Juli kept snickering to herself, but quickly stopped any time Joseph looked at her. Sebastian really wished she would stop this. It was honestly really annoying. Juli Kidman was just like a child when it came to a grown man’s relationship with his very attractive partner. To be fair she was the one that asked the two of them if they were dating in the first place. Which they were not. Just over a period of months they have gotten really close to one another. Yet, here he is wishing that he were able to come home to a cute Canadian and mentally ill albino boy. He had such a healthy way of thinking.

Soon it was time for Joseph to leave and pick Leslie up. The struggles of being a single parent are real. Yet, the younger man was able to manage his life normally. Sebastian watched as he left. Juli glared at him. He gave her a confused look. She rolled her eyes getting off of her chair. 

“Kid, you gotta speak English, not woman,” Sebastian said. She turned around with an annoyed face. It should really be the other way around. 

“You just look like you want to take care of him,” she explained. “Why don’t you just tell him?” 

Sebastian was still confused. “We’re friends,” he clarified. “He and I don’t have any romantic feelings towards each other. We’re just…” 

“Partners,” Juli finished his sentence for him. “I get it. You’re stubborn. But, you guys aren’t going to get many chances to be together any time soon.” She walked away without saying another word. She went into the break room to grab something to eat. Sebastian rolled his eyes. Seriously, he wondered why him and Joseph were assigned to watch after her. But even though they had only been working with a little over a week, she seemed to fit in with this messed up group. 

Sebastian focused on his work knowing that there was a drink with his name on it when he arrived home. Juli came back to the desk announcing she was leaving. Since she had clearly finished before Sebastian. He grunted as she left. The resumed his work. Thoughts of Joseph and Leslie now plagued his mind. The two always seemed to find their way into his mind. However, today seemed worse because of Joseph’s idiotic boyfriend. It would just be great if he would just vanish. Or better yet, if Joseph would just be his. 

 

The next day was just like any other. Juli came in with coffees for both Sebastian and Joseph. She added a lot more sugar than the poor barista thought was normal. Juli laughed at the horrified expression, but the coffee seemed to be to Sebastian’s liking. The only person that was missing was Joseph. He then walked through the doors right before he was supposed to be there. Sebastian looked very confused and worried. He was always early, even with Leslie troubles. 

“Jojo, what’s wrong?” Sebastian asked. Juli gave Joseph his coffee and a muffin. Yeah. That was a chocolate chocolate chip muffin. He now wondered why he did not receive a muffin. 

Before the younger man could respond, Juli answered for him. “Joseph broke up with Conner.” 

“Thanks, Juli,” Joseph said taking a drink of his coffee. 

“What? You broke up? And here I thought you were a cute couple,” Sebastian said in a mock concern. Joseph rolled his eyes. “What a shame.” 

“I know you didn’t like him,” Joseph said. 

“What made ya break up with him?” Sebastian asked, this time he was curious. 

“We just… we just didn’t click,” he answered honestly. Sebastian was surprised. The other day they seemed like they were clicking nicely. “He was great, but… the connection was not there. It’s fine. Besides, I just need to focus on Leslie and my work.” 

Sebastian could tell there was more behind the break-up than his partner was letting on. He wanted to pry it out of him. Just wanted the younger man to spill his guts, but he decided against it. This was his personal life and he had no reason to get involved. Instead he dropped the topic and turned to look at Kidman. 

“Did you get me a muffin?” He asked with a smirk. 

“Did you break up with your boyfriend?” Sebastian shook his head no. “Than you got your answer.” The young woman sat down at her desk. Sebastian looked at her and then between his partner. He seriously felt left out. Of course the older man would be left out. The two were very attractive people. Sebastian thought that surely Juli had a boyfriend or someone. And now Joseph was single. 

He should not be happy about that, but he was. That meant that Joseph was available. Sebastian was honestly the scum of the earth if he was happy about this. Sighing, he got back to work. Joseph gave Sebastian half of his muffin. He denied it, since he did just break up with his boyfriend. The Canadian shrugged eating the delicious treat himself. Sebastian could not hide the smile. 

The rest of the day Sebastian would look at Joseph a certain way when he was not looking. Juli often called him out on it, but he dismissed it as simply staring into space or he was not even looking at him in the first place. However, he just could not stop looking at his partner. Sebastian honestly wanted to hold his hand or give him little kisses that made him blush. Alas that would not be him. The elusive Joseph Oda would not be his, or anyone else’s for that matter of fact. 

The day crawled longer than normal for Sebastian. Not only was the Chief not assigning them any new cases, but also Joseph seemed to be more distracting than normal. It became a relief when his partner had to leave to retrieve his child. Juli had mentioned that she could not wait to have dinner with Joseph and Leslie this weekend. Sebastian looked at her. She explained that she would be joining them for the healthy dinner night. The older man rolled his eyes. He gave a grouchy get-back-to-work look before resuming his own pointless work. 

It was about four o’clock when Chief Callahan walked in with her son and Leslie? Sebastian and Juli looked at each other. The woman did not seem happy. “Where is Detective Oda?” She asked. Sebastian approached the woman. Leslie was looking around the area that he could see if his father was here. 

“He left to pick up Leslie,” he said looking down at the boy now standing in front of him. 

“Really?” She asked in a sarcastic tone. “Then why do I have him? Clearly something is wrong.” 

Juli went to the kid because he looked like he was beginning to breath heavily. She began rubbing his back telling him everything would be all right. Sebastian could not believe that Joseph would pick up his kid. It just did not seem like him. Joseph is a good person. He would never leave Leslie. 

Connelly then came up to them with a panicked expression on his face. Alison looked at him with normally cold stare. “It’s for Sebastian,” he gave the letter to the detective. The man took the letter. His name was written in perfect cursive. It seemed like he had seen it before. He opened the letter. The blood from his face drained. In the letter there was a picture of a beautiful cherry blossom. Then there were the written words. 

'Detective Castellanos, it has been such a long time. Remember Christopher Barns? The man you arrested for being the Art Killer. He was killed in a prison riot a few months ago. So, I’m back. Back to get my revenge. Sadly, you aren’t married, but at least you have a partner. Perhaps he might make a beautiful campus. You have twenty-four to save your beloved partner. I will give you a chance though. Just try and find me, Mr. Castellanos.'

Sebastian gritted his teeth. He honestly could not believe this. Someone kidnapped his partner. He thought he and Myra put that man away years ago. That was a time before their daughter died and she left him. He heard about him dying not that long ago, but to hear that the man had a partner. Alison had a worried expression all over her face. 

“What did it say?” Juli asked because she was clearly worried about Joseph. 

“We have to find him,” he simply said. He did not want Leslie to worry like he already was. Sebastian will find him though. Nothing would keep him from saving his partner. He would not loose another partner. And he sure as hell will make sure that Leslie will not be an orphan again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama in the next chapter! I know finals are coming up and you all are stressed. Me too. Seriously I have two exams tomorrow that I am cramming for lol! Either way, get ready for the chapter we all been waiting for next week! Thank you all so much for your support and all that good stuff! Love all of your faces! And like always, if you have any questions or one shot ideas let me know! Stay awesome and good luck!


	18. Cherry Blossoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is of the essence to save Joseph Oda from a serial killer. The only way they can truly save him is by asking help from a certain insane genius.

Joseph opened his eyes to see that he was being held upside down. He saw that there was a tub like thing. Honestly, he did not want to think about why that was there, but instead he was concerned about why he was shirtless and surrounded by pictures of cherry blossoms. Joseph tried to recall as to how he got in this position. He then remembered it clearly. While driving to pick up Leslie someone jumped in front of his car. Being the good person that he is, the detective decided to check up on the man before he was suddenly knocked out to wake up in the position he is now in. Joseph made a mental note to not be friendly to anyone anymore. 

He sighed trying to think how he was going to get out of this situation. Unluckily his hands were tied. “Good job, Oda,” he spoke out loud to himself. He had to think of a way to get out, but at the current moment he could not think of anything. His lips closed in a straight line as he thought over any and all possibilities. Footsteps were then heard coming towards him. He saw feet of a new pair of Converse on the feet of the man. 

“With that complexion on your face I would have hoped the rest of your body would be a better canvas,” he heard the man say. “I mean, those scars on your back are god awful. But beggars can’t be choosers.” 

“Sorry if my body is not what you expected,” he said sarcastically. He could feel the eyes roll from the man. “If I’m not perfect then release me.” 

“No,” he snapped. He felt a hand run along his back. Joseph felt sick. “Besides, at the current moment you are important to someone that needs to be punished. So, shall we begin?” Joseph let out a scream as a blade began running around in his back with a fine curve. He saw blood dripping down into the tub. He breathed heavily as the man carefully ran another blade across his back. The screams came from his mouth with every stroke. A little drool began to fall out of his mouth. He heard the man laugh at his discomfort. 

“I think that is enough for now,” he stopped. Joseph was breathing heavily. Tears were threatening to come out, but he refused to cry. The man looked back to admire his work. The detective could feel the eyes of the man holding him captive. He was impressed with his work, but it was not done yet. Joseph silently wished for Sebastian to come and rescue him. 

_________

 

Sebastian looked at the first clue to finding Joseph. This clue would be leading to where his car would be found. Sebastian was completely dumbfounded about to where this stupid clue could possibly find Joseph. Alison had called her husband to take their son home and Leslie with him, but the young albino boy did not want to leave Sebastian’s side for even a second. He flat out refused to go with his best friend. Alison was furious about this, but the older detective told her that the reason why he did not want to leave his side was because Joseph was missing and that he needed someone that he was comfortable with to be with him. Despite her protests, she eventually allowed the boy to stay beside Sebastian as long as any of Sebastian’s decisions did not lead to the endangerment of the boy. 

Easier said than done. Leslie was just a nervous ball of energy. Juli seemed to help Sebastian a lot by giving him activities to do while they were doing work. She explained to Sebastian that it was a lot like dealing with her younger brother. He would ask her more about that on any other day, but at the current moment his partner was in the clutches of a deranged killer that would bleed him dry. 

At the current moment Leslie was spinning around in a chair, Juli and Alison trying to comprehend the clue, and Sebastian watching all this madness. He kept thinking about how his partner’s life was in danger. Time was of the essence. If Joseph died he did not want to think about the guilt he would have. Leslie would be an orphan again. He saw the kid stop spinning and walk over to the two women. The older detective rubbed his eyes. He cursed, causing everyone to look at him. 

“We need Ruvik’s help,” he said. Juli looked confused and Alison looked furious. Leslie had a worried expression. Simply from that time he told him how bad he was. 

“Who’s Ruvik?” Kidman asked. 

“Someone who can be an asshole,” Alison said. “We can’t bring Leslie.” 

“We have to,” he said. Leslie looked between everyone, taking in everything that was going around him. “I don’t want Leslie to feel unsafe. Besides, he won’t get anywhere near him.” 

Alison did not like the idea, but she complied. She said that she would be driving in a separate care. Sebastian, Juli, and Leslie all piled into Sebastian’s car to go to where Ruvik lived. Leslie curled up in the back seat. His head was flowed with thoughts of where Joseph could be or what this Ruvik person was like. 

Juli placed a comforting hand on Leslie’s head, letting him silently know that they would find Joseph. This was for him after all. They arrived at the familiar place. Leslie followed Sebastian out before he heard Juli call for him to stay in the car. He reached out and grabbed the much older man’s arm. He looked down on the kid with a confused look. Alison rolled her eyes. 

“We can’t bring him in,” she said. “And I sure as hell am not going to talk with the man in person. Also Kidman is not going alone.” 

“You can watch him,” he smirked. Alison looked at how tight Leslie was holding his arm like he was the only person that could possible protect him. “Besides, I’m sure Ruvik will have everything figured out.” 

“Again, who’s Ruvik?” Juli asked. Alison’s eyes widened. She had no intention of having the young rookie ever meeting this man. In fact, the only people that would ever need to talk with Ruvik were herself, Sebastian, and Joseph. Juli Kidman was never destined to have that man in her life. And even if that was destined to happen, this was not the ideal circumstance. 

Clearly Sebastian sensed the rising panic coming from his superior. He looked over to the young rookie. “Ruvik is someone to help us find Joseph,” he explained. Juli seemed to take all the information in. “But he’s also an insane person. Need I say more?” 

“How do you know him?” The young woman asked. 

“Long complicated story,” Sebastian answered. “Not even Joseph knows.” 

“Lovely,” Juli said with a hint of sarcasm. “So, is he like Hannibal the Cannibal?” 

“You can say that,” Alison said in a monotone voice. 

“W-wasting time,” Leslie said tugging on Sebastian’s shirt to gain his attention. Sebastian had forgotten the kid had his arm in his hands in the first place. 

“We are,” he said. “Leslie, Alison is going to watch after you. Kidman and I will be right back, okay? Can you be good?” Leslie nodded letting go of the older man. Sebastian felt a little relief knowing that the kid at least understood him. He looked at the young woman. “Ready to go, Kid?” 

She smiled at he nickname. “Ready as ever, Seb.” The older man rolled his eyes as the two went inside Beacon Mental Hospital: home of the criminally insane as well as just the normally insane. He wondered if Leslie would end up in a place like this if Joseph had not intervened in his life. He then shuddered at that idea of a kid like him ending up here. He knew that if that happened Ruvik would have snapped him up right away. At the current moment he just hoped that he could save Joseph’s life before he had to start worrying about Leslie’s new living arrangements. 

______

 

Joseph screamed in pain as more of his blood dripped from his body. It had passed roughly an hour and half since the man first sliced into his body. How did he know? Because there was a convenient little clock that was rather close to him. The man began doing short little strokes in the body of his victim, almost like drawing flower petals. More blood fell and the knife felt like they were getting deeper. He stopped to look at his work. A sigh of happiness left the man’s mouth. 

“We need to clean you up,” he said walking away. Joseph could barely see the man’s face. The only characteristic he noticed was that he had black hair in a loose fitting man ponytail. His captor returned to Joseph. He placed a damp clothe against the wounds of his back. Joseph screamed in pain. That was lemon water. Fucking lemon water to clean his wounds. 

“Are you fucking serious?” He hissed through the pain. The man did a little click of his tongue. 

“Language,” he said dabbing more of the painful liquid against his wounds. “Aren’t you a family man? Or at least babysitting some kid.” Joseph glared at the man, as much as glaring at a bloody floor can go. “I watched you for quite some time. I think that white little boy would also make for a stunning canvas. The red on white always looks amazing.” 

“You were just targeting me though,” Joseph managed to say without stuttering in pain. “Why target someone else?” 

“Because what is the fun in only have one beautiful portrait,” he answered squirting some of the lemon water on his wounds. Joseph hissed in pain. “Besides, I always love a good canvas.” 

Joseph bit his lip, closing his eyes. Honestly he could not believe the man was talking about his child that way. Leslie would honestly not survive this or even be conscious this long. It was a miracle that he was still awake with all the pain. Joseph felt like the only thing keeping him awake was the fact that Sebastian was out there hopefully searching for him and protecting his child. His vision began to blur. “Now, you need to rest. See you in a few minutes.” 

________

 

Juli was glaring daggers into Ruvik. Sebastian could not be more impressed with the young rookie. The best part was the fact that his insane almost friend was rather thrown off by her appearance. He did not even know that the two detectives were watching after the woman. This was the better than his birthday. This was just perfect. She did not seem scared or even the slightest bit afraid to look him directly in the eyes. Which, that was not a smart idea. 

“I’m impressed,” Ruvik said not looking away from the woman in front of him. A playful smirk displayed on his face. He had a new toy. “Alison kept something from me. So, what brings the two of you to my humble cell?”

“I wouldn’t use the word humble,” Juli smirked looking at his cell. Being the last remaining Victoriano does have some advantages. “I mean, if you have a laptop and a cell phone I count you as pretty fucking rich.” 

Ruvik’s smirk fell and it was back to scowl he so proudly wore. Sebastian knew that two egos were beginning to rage battle between the two of them. “Anyways, back to the reason we are here,” he interjected not wanting the young woman to get mental scarred. “Joseph is missing. Sadly, we need your help.” 

Ruvik raised a questionable eyebrow looking at the man. “You’re willingly here for my help,” he said. “Must be desperate.” 

“We have twenty-four hours before Joseph is bled completely dry,” he explained. At this point he was desperate. They wasted too much time already. “Are you willing to help us find him or not?” 

“Let me see this riddle,” he said. Juli hesitantly placed it on the glass of his cell. He read it carefully. “The Japanese Gardens. That is where his car will be.” 

Sebastian was about to leave, when he felt Ruvik stare him down like there was more to it. “There will be other riddles much harder than this,” he explained. “Perhaps having me in touch at all times will be the best. That way it will be more effective.” 

“No, we can figure it out from here,” Juli spoke for Sebastian, but he was actually considering his offer. Ruvik was untrustworthy. However, he seemed interested in the safety of his partner. 

“What’s in it for you?” Sebastian asked looking at the man. 

“I kind of enjoy him,” he smirked thinking about the experience he had with him a few days prior. “He’s a pleasant change from you. Also, what would become of his child if something were to happen to him?” 

That is another reason he did not want to take his offer. Leslie was clinging to him like his life depended on it. However, he was that desperate. They did not have enough time. At this point it did not matter if Leslie heard the man’s voice, he just needed his partner safe. “Fine,” he gritted his teeth. Juli looked at him with a shocked expression. “Wait fifteen minutes before calling me. I’ll have you on speaker the entire time.” 

He now began to leave motioning Juli to follow him. She caught up to him looking very much pissed at the older man. Once they were outside of the hospital she pushed him against the wall. Alison saw what was happening, but decided it was best not to intervene. “Why would you do that?” Juli asked. She was smart and could tell when something seemed off. Sebastian had to give her props for being smart. 

“Because we don’t have the time to be wasting,” Sebastian pushed her off. “We not only have an officer with his life on the line, but also his child. I don’t know what will happen if Leslie looses another family member and I don’t want to find out. That’s why we need his help. I’m sorry for dragging you into this.” 

Juli took a breath. She understood the situation at stake. She knew that if they failed something would happen to that kid and she also did not want to know what would happen if Joseph vanished from his life. “It’s fine,” she finally said. “But what about Leslie?” 

“He stays quiet for the most part,” he said. “I’ll just tell him to remain extra quiet.” 

The man approached the two and explained everything to Alison. She was furious, but eventually calmed down when she saw it from Sebastian’s point of view. He then went to tell Leslie to stay extremely quiet. Leslie nodded his hand, just happy to have Sebastian back beside him. The kid stayed closed. He then flinched when the phone rang. He sighed answering the phone and putting it on speaker. 

Ruvik’s voice came over the device like it would if someone was talking to him in real life. Leslie looked at it with wide eyes. The voice sent chills down his spine, but this person would help find his father. Leslie kept his mouth silent as the man spoke very elegantly through the phone to whoever was in the area. 

“And, what exactly has become of little Leslie?” He suddenly asked causing the teenage boy to hold tighter onto the detective’s sleeve. Sebastian ran a hand through the white hair of the boy. 

“At my house,” Alison answered for Sebastian. She smiled at Leslie. “Don’t you dare call my husband or child, you understand?” 

“Touchy,” he said with a bit of a laugh. Leslie was shaking slightly. 

“Alright, let’s go to the Japanese Gardens,” Sebastian said. They all got into the car and began to drive. For the most part Ruvik stayed silent. Leslie leaned against the window thinking silently to himself. Kidman kept looking over to Leslie. She was nervous about the child. He was so small and innocent that she hardly believed that he was able to function normally. Joseph really did protect the kid: all the more reason to find the detective. 

They came to the Japanese Gardens. Leslie’s eyes widened when he saw Joseph’s car. He got out of the car while it was still moving. If Sebastian hadn’t slowed down while he did the kid would have hurt himself. 

“What was that?” Ruvik asked. Sebastian and Julie looked at each other. 

“Kidman getting out of the car,” he answered. He got out of the car and then Juli followed after him once she felt like it was safe. Leslie was at the car. He had a piece of paper in his hands. He gave it to Sebastian. The older detective ruffled his hair a little. “Alright, here’s the next hint.” 

This went on for hours. Ruvik was even having a little bit of a hard time understand these stupid riddles. However, it was going a lot faster than if it were just him and Juli. Leslie stayed silent. The most dramatic the young boy ever got was when Ruvik spoke he would sink further down into his seat and shake. Sebastian felt a bit guilty about the kid’s reactions, but it would bring them closer to finding Joseph. That is all that mattered. 

____________

 

Joseph began feeling numb to the pain. He could tell he was sketching around the old burn scars on his back. The detective began thinking over to what would happen to Leslie. At this point he figured he was going to die from blood loss since he looked down to see that there was a lot of blood in the tub. At this point he wondered what would happen to his child. Joseph was hoping that one of his sisters would take care of his child. All he wanted was to see his bright smile one last time. 

He saw the man sitting down in front of him, looking through his wallet. Joseph glared at the man with what little strength he had left. He knew that he should be saving his energy, but he noticed that he was holding a picture of Leslie. The picture was of when he first adopted Leslie. The boy had his arms wrapped around Joseph’s neck. A bright smile shined brightly on his face. 

“Adorable kid,” he commented. “Beautiful pale features, but the skin might provide some issues.” He looked at Joseph. “Aren’t you a little young to be taking care of a child?” 

“Aren’t you a little stupid for kidnapping a cop?” Joseph responded. The man stood up. He looked at the time. 

“I’m spending too much time talking to you,” he said. “Time to finish up my masterpiece.” He began cutting into his victim again. Joseph winced at the pain and saw the blood fall quicker than before. He closed his eyes praying for Sebastian to come save him soon. 

_________

 

They had found the last possible clue to Joseph’s location. Leslie was looking through the different clues in the back seat. It was getting late and they were running out of time. Ruvik had made pleasant conversations with Juli as they drove to hopefully the final location. Alison had a police force following them. Sebastian gripped tightly onto the steering wheel. He was so close to finding Joseph. Leslie was curled in the back seat watching everything transpire. Ruvik was silent on the other end of the phone, which was a good thing for Leslie at the current moment. 

The cars pulled up to a warehouse. Several armed officers surrounded the place. Juli stayed with Leslie while Sebastian went to investigate inside the place. The older detective carefully opened the door. Peaking in he saw only darkness. He reached his hand out to turn on the light switch. In the middle of the empty warehouse was a picture of a cherry blossom tree with the words Wrong Turn written beside it. Sebastian cursed loudly. 

Alison came inside holding the phone they have been using to talk to Ruvik with. She saw the sign. “Ruvik, you screwed up,” she growled. 

“That is entirely impossible,” he said, but he was wrong. Joseph was nowhere in sight. Nothing that told them that they could be there was even in the building. Sebastian punched the door to the building creating a dent in the process. Leslie yelped because he was standing beside the piece of metal. Sebastian looked at the kid. 

“I-I know where Dad is,” he said shyly. 

“Who is that?” Ruvik asked. Alison about to hung up the phone. “Alison, don’t you even try. Is that Leslie?” 

Leslie began to scoot away from door shaking his head. “Leslie, where is he?” Sebastian asked grabbing his shoulders. The boy shook his head. He disobeyed Sebastian’s orders. Now that man who had a scary voice was talking to him. 

“Let me talk to the child,” Ruvik said. Sebastian could almost feel the smirk on his face. “I am a psychiatrist.” 

“No,” he let go of Leslie’s shoulders. “You’re kind of the reason he’s not talking in the first place.” Ruvik scoffed. 

“I can assure you I won’t do anything weird,” Ruvik promised. However, from experience this man could not be trusted. He was a monster. 

“I got the location,” Juli said. Leslie was now standing behind her. “While you two were having an ego war I actually got the information we need.” 

“Good work, Kid,” Alison said hanging up the phone before Ruvik could rage. Oh she would be getting an ear about this later, but she loved shutting the man up. They loaded into police cars. Sebastian had left Leslie with Juli. He was going insanely fast. He did not care what would happen to him, all that mattered was that Joseph would be safe and with Leslie again. All that mattered was that someone he cared about would still continue living a strong life. He was too late to fix his own life and save his own daughter, but if he could protect Joseph then maybe he won’t have to drink himself to sleep. If he could just safe Joseph maybe he can be happy again. 

______________

 

Joseph swore he saw bits of his own flesh in the pool of blood underneath him. His hair must be matted with the blood running down his neck. Honestly, the detective could not speak. Hours upon hours of screaming had caused his voice to go hoarse. The man was looking at his work. He smiled to himself making a sound of approval. “One of my best works,” the man said grabbing another blade. This time grabbed a thicker blade. Joseph just accepted his fate. Sebastian was not coming. He did not even know what would happen to his child. 

His vision blurred as the man began to approach his body. Joseph blanked out. During his last moment of being awake he heard the man shouting. Then he heard Sebastian’s voice calling his name. He smiled thinking that at least in his last state of illusion he heard the man he cared for deeply call his name. Joseph then swore he heard gunfire, but he blacked out completely at this point. His body finally gave out and he was floating darkness. At least he was able to hear Sebastian’s voice calling his name one last time. 

 

Joseph opened his eyes when he was awoken by the smell of Chinese food. He felt a familiar body pressed against him. He looked down to see Leslie curled up close to the side of his body. Joseph smiled running a hand through the kid’s hair. Joseph then noticed where the food was coming from. He saw Sebastian and Juli sitting together. She was laughing with Sebastian. Joseph thought a smile looked good on Kidman. At the moment he was just enjoying watching them eat their food. Sebastian then noticed he was awake. 

“Hey, how’s Detective Oda?” Sebastian asked.

“I feel really drugged up,” Joseph answered honestly. He did feel very much like he was high. Leslie opened his eyes. He sat up, rubbing one of his eyes. 

Joseph smiled as the kid snuggled into him. He ran a gentle hand through his hair. “He knows about the bad wounds,” Sebastian explained. 

“Leslie did not want to leave your side,” Juli commented standing up. “It was really adorable when he snuggled beside you.” 

“Thank you,” he silently said looking down at his son. The tiny little albino looked so much smaller than he actually was. 

“Hey, it was nothing,” Sebastian said smiling. “We’re just glad you’re safe.” Joseph hadn’t realized that his partner was rather close to him. He was sitting on a chair beside the bed. He blushed a little being beside him. 

“Leslie, we forgot to get pudding,” Juli suddenly said. Leslie sat up and looked at her very confused. “Come on, we got to find some.” She grabbed Leslie’s hand and took him out of the room. Joseph looked at his partner with a worried expression. 

“How did Juli know I liked pudding?” Joseph gave a small smile. “Sebastian, thank you.” 

“I couldn’t let a good cop die,” he said with a shrug. Joseph shook his head. 

“It means a lot. That is what kept me going while that man hacked into my skin,” he began to ramble. “I knew you were searching for me. I also knew you were protecting Leslie. It sounds stupid, but knowing that you were out there looking for me honestly is the…” He was cut off when Sebastian brushed his lips against his own. 

Joseph blushed at the rough lips gave a simple little kiss. It was nothing special, nothing that both of the men hadn’t experience before. Joseph felt his heart race. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you,” Sebastian broke away from the kiss. He placed a gentle hand on the back of Joseph head. “The entire time we were looking for you I kept feeling like I would have a panic attack if you weren’t alive.” 

Joseph could not form words. His partner, a man he had known roughly eight months, just kissed him. “You… kissed me…” Joseph was trying to comprehend what had just happened. Sebastian’s hand was now around his neck. Sebastian just kissed him. 

“Yes,” is what snapped Joseph out of his confusion. Just hearing Sebastian’s voice was enough to make him snap out of whatever confusing loop he was on. The gentle smile on Sebastian’s face was almost too much. “This always happens to me.” 

“What does that mean?” Joseph raised an eyebrow. Sebastian let out a bit of a bitter laugh. 

“Back when my wife, Myra was my partner, she almost died,” he explained. Might as well let out all the dirty laundry before they got involved in a relationship. “That’s when I decided that I would grow a pair and tell her my feelings. You see how that turned out.” 

“Where are you going with this, Sebastian?” Joseph asked. 

“The point is I’m a coward when it comes to people I care about,” he blurted out. “I couldn’t tell Myra my feelings until her life almost ended and now I’m doing it with you. Jojo, I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t rescued you. But I know that I want to have a life with you and to protect both you and Leslie.” 

“Seb, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Joseph asked his face fully flushed now. 

“That I want to date you, yes.” He grabbed Joseph’s hand. The Canadian blushed an even redder red. “Is that such a silly idea?” 

“You were married and had a kid before,” Joseph stated. Sebastian then knew all the confusion. “I mean, how can you possibly want to date someone like me?” 

“I like your tight ass,” he kissed him again smiling slightly. “Besides, does it really matter as long as we are happy?” Joseph pressed into the kiss. “Side note, so happy you broke up with Conner.”

“Were you jealous?” Joseph laughed into his lips. 

“You bet your tight Canadian ass I was,” he finally kissed him deeper. For a few minutes they were like this kissing each other gently. Joseph still felt like he was dreaming. It was all so unreal. Being with Sebastian like this felt natural. They understood one another and both were willing to work for a good relationship. It was also a bonus that Sebastian was good with Leslie. He did not want to run away or avoid the issue; instead he wanted to protect him and his son. He wanted to be apart of their lives. 

Their tender moment was then interrupted when Leslie and Juli came through the door holding pudding cups. They broke away, but still held onto each other’s hands. Juli smirked happily at the two detectives. Joseph was really red. It was honestly so adorable. Leslie walked over to his father and gave him a pudding cup. Sebastian took it from Leslie, opening it for Joseph. This only furthered the blushed on his already red face. Leslie was confused. The young detective then realized that he would have to explain their newfound relationship. That could wait though. In this moment Joseph was happy to be with the people he cared about. Besides, once he got out of the hospital he had a date with Detective Castellanos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sass master Joseph!!! Also Joseph and Sebastian are together!!! FINALLY THE PART YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!! GET READY FOR SEX(in like five more chapters)!!!! Anyways, hope you like the chapter. Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for one shots or anything else involving this fic. Thank you all for your love and support. Love all yo faces!! You are so beautiful and fabulous! See you next Sunday and enjoy not having school for awhile!!!


	19. First Date-Awkward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph and Sebastian finally go on that first date! It is a lot more interesting than what they had planned, but it all turns out to be the perfect date.

It had passed roughly a week before Joseph was actually allowed to leave the hospital, but he was to return every Friday to check on the wounds he had on his back. Of course Joseph agreed to it. Besides, he wanted to make sure these wounds would be healed properly. The last thing he needed was constant pain. When he was discharged from the hospital Leslie still refused to leave his side. Joseph knew that the albino only worried about his health like he worried about his health. But, coming out the hospital was an exciting thing. Not only would he be able to have decent food, but also Sebastian was right beside him. It could not get any better. 

The first night Joseph returned home Sebastian slept on the couch in case he needed anything or to take care of Leslie if he had any nightmares. That was sweet and everything; there was also the issue that they had not had a proper date, however. That issue was brought about the second day Joseph was back at his home. They were eating dinner, something Sebastian had cooked which was honestly a real surprise and delicious, and the older detective asked if Joseph wanted to go out on Friday. Since Joseph was still on leave because of his wounds and Friday was a very rare day off for Sebastian, he thought that it would be a good idea. Joseph of course agreed to it. Leslie did not seem to mind. Apparently the child had been secretly cheering for them since they first met. 

Everything seemed to be fitting in perfectly, though Sebastian was a little on edge. He sat in his office chair on Wednesday, thinking about where to take Joseph Oda on their first date. It had honestly been so long for him. He dated Myra for a long time and then did not see anyone after she vanished. There was the occasional one nightstand. Sebastian wanted to make sure that Joseph was treated properly. He wanted to make sure that he would enjoy the place that they would be eating at. 

“Joseph would like sushi, right?” Sebastian asked Kidman. She looked up from her paperwork to look at Detective Castellanos. “Everyone likes sushi.” 

“Except you,” she pointed out. All the woman had ever seen Sebastian eat is the Chinese food that practically filled the trashcan beside his desk. He did not seem like the raw fish eater. “Also, you do realize that sounds a little like racial profiling?” 

“So a no on the sushi idea,” Sebastian concluded. Juli nodded her head. Castellanos sighed leaning back. “Too bad there aren’t any Canadian themed places.” 

“Seb, how long has it been since you’ve been on a date?” Juli asked deciding that her superior’s love life was much more interesting. 

He sat there thinking for a minute. “Roughly seven to nine years,” he answered. Juli looked like she was going to do a flip. Sebastian honestly had not been on a date since he began dating Myra and after she vanished he felt like there was anyone else in the world that could take her place, until now. “I was married. What do you expect? Dating was never my thing, even when I was younger.” 

“Wow,” is all that came out of her mouth. “I’m honestly shocked. I mean, look at you. To a lot of women you would be considered a hunk.” 

“And what do you think of me?” He smirked. 

“Since I prefer women, I would consider you a good looking man,” she answered. “Besides, I can’t wait to see the result of your date.” 

“And who is Detective Castellanos courting this time?” They heard Alison ask coming to the two of them. She seemed in rather good spirits. Most likely because Ruvik hadn’t called her and she was able to shut his mouth.

“You’ll find out,” he said rolling his eyes. “You always do.” 

“Exactly,” she whispered. “And I do expect the two of you seeing me once Detective Oda is ready to come into work. Is that understood?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” he saluted to the women. Callahan rolled her eyes. 

“Well, get back to work,” she left the two detectives. 

“Did she honestly want to gossip?” Juli asked Sebastian. He nodded his head. Their superior enjoys knowing what is going on in the office. Sadly, most of the gossip she searches for involves him. The young rookie seemed to find it very entertaining. Sebastian looked at the place that his partner normally sat. He sighed. Thinking about Joseph being there to help him or to keep him focused. Just the young man being beside him just made everything better. Sebastian then decided to resume his date planning. After all, this was his first date in what felt like twenty years and he was going to make sure Joseph had the best damn date of his life. 

 

Friday was at long last here. Sebastian had gotten a key to Joseph’s apartment and was able to come up. When he came to the apartment he saw Juli and Leslie watching a movie together. He looked at Joseph because he thought that Leslie was able to stay home alone. 

“He’s kind of afraid of being home alone right now,” Joseph explained. He saw that Sebastian had flowers for him. He blushed looking at them. 

“I thought you would like them,” Sebastian said smiling while giving them to his adorable date. He looked at Leslie who was curled up with popcorn watching Lord of the Rings. The kid really liked fantasy movies. “So, how much is Jojo paying you?” 

“I’m having fun with Leslie,” she messed his hair up a little. “Besides, you get an adorable Canadian tonight. I call that a win.”

Joseph laughed. “So, where are we going?” He asked. 

“Now, that is a surprise,” Sebastian smirked. “Ready to go?” Joseph nodded his head. The man ruffled the albino teenager’s hair telling him to be good for Kidman. He nodded his head. Joseph smiled. He was really excited about this date. It almost felt like it was not real. Sebastian opened his car door for Joseph. He made a joke about him not being a woman. The older man merely rolled his eyes. While they drove Sebastian told him about what was going on in work. He told him about a new case that he was investigating and could not wait to get Joseph’s input in it. Comments like that made the Canadian’s heart flutter. Sebastian really cared about him. He knew it was silly, but just the very thought that Sebastian couldn’t wait until he returned for work made him extremely happy. 

The two men came to a nice Italian restaurant. Joseph was impressed. He could have made a million dollar bet that Sebastian would pick a Chinese place, but seeing as he could decide on a place that is more date appropriate, he would clearly loose that bet. Seeing this place only made Joseph wonder as to what this man had planned. He was honestly very excited. Sebastian parked the car and the two men went inside. The hostess smiled at them. She asked if they had a reservation. Sebastian said that it should be under his name. 

After finding his name, she grabbed two menus and led them to their table. Joseph looked around the place. It was very nice and elegant. He saw a few couples, along with little groups of people celebrating. The place felt overall very warm and friendly. He then noticed that they were at their table. He sat down across from Sebastian. Just now Joseph decided to take in his date’s appearance. It appeared that the man had shaved, which was very surprising and rare. His hair seemed washed and he had nice smelling cologne on him. Joseph had not seen his partner this dazzled up before, it was nice. 

Sebastian began looking Joseph over. He was dressed in what would be considered his normal clothing, honestly no big surprise there. He was always dressed in nice fitting clothes. However it seemed like this time the clothes he wore were newer. A smile came over his face. Joseph was nervous about this date too. It brought a little comfort to him knowing that. It was adorable. Everything about him was adorable. 

“This place is nice,” Joseph said, trying to start some conversation. Why was he so nervous? Because he had honestly been dreaming about this for quite some time. And the fact that his normally gruff and ragged partner is clean just makes it a little better. 

“I thought it would be a safe place,” he said. He then realized that was the wrong thing to say. It was not so much that it was a safe place, but that it was a nicer place than any other options he had. “I mean… it’s a nice place.” 

“Seb, how long since you’ve been on a date?” Joseph had a fond smile on his face. 

“Since when I started dating Myra,” he answered rubbing the back of his head. Yeah. That’s whom he wanted to mention on their first date, his missing ex wife. Honestly, he just wanted to focus on Joseph. “But that shouldn’t matter.” 

Joseph nodded in agreement. The two men fell silent. Their waitress came to them asking if they would like anything to drink. Joseph only wanted water. Sebastian looked at the drinks and decided on lemonade. He did not want to get drunk during this date, despite how tempting it was to order whine. For their first date it would be wise to not have Joseph be his designated driver. 

Once the waitress left the awkward silence fell over them again. Most of the time when they talked it was about cases or Leslie. They clearly did not know what to talk about. It stayed like that until the waitress came with their drinks. She asked if they were ready to order. Joseph ordered linguine with clam sauce. Sebastian kept it safe and ordered the spaghetti. She smiled leaving the two alone. 

“Have you always lived in Krimson City?” Joseph asked, attempting to start a conversation. 

“Born and raised,” he smiled. 

“And being a local here, has it always been this crazy?” Joseph drank some of his water. 

“Yes,” he answered honestly. “When I was in high school a teacher kidnapped students that caused him problems and tortured them. No one died thankfully.” Joseph had an eyebrow raised. “This city attracts the crazies.” 

“Might explain the scars on my back,” he joked. “It isn’t so bad. Leslie is happy.” 

“Mind me asking what it was like when you first took him in?” Sebastian asked. Joseph laughed nervously. 

“The first month was the hardest time of my life,” he said looking down. “I was trying to learn how to cook, Leslie was extremely shy, and we had just moved into a bigger place. It was just hard settling in. Eventually I was able to get more than one word of Leslie.” 

“Nothing boring in the life of an Oda,” Sebastian commented. 

“I think a life with a Castellanos is interesting as well,” he smirked. “Look at your social circle.” Joseph then thought about Ruvik. Alison had refused to tell him anything about Ruvik other than he used to be an old friend. Well that was clear, but the story behind how he got to be locked up and why they act like he is some sort of monster is still left unsaid. Along with that his files were locked away where only special personnel can access them. His curiosity was getting the better of him. He had to know if they were going to be in a relationship. It wasn’t fair that this man knew almost everything about him and he knew nothing. Gulping, he decided it was time to ask him. “So, what is your history with Ruvik?” 

He froze for a little, surprised by the question. Sebastian honestly did not want to talk about the man on their first date. However, it would seem that the cute detective sitting across from him was curious. How could he say no to that face? It was adorable. He ran his hand through his hair. 

“The first time I met him was during a case,” he began. He thought about the next sentence carefully. “Myra and I were still working together at the time, a few months before we stated dating. He also did not go by Ruvik. He was born Ruben Victoriano. Anyways, the case involved a patient he was treating and was helping us track him. Myra and him kind of started off as friend while I wanted to punch his smug little face in. However, after that case he kind of made himself a little bit a permanent fixture in our lives. When he began helping us with cases I did a little research into his messed up past." He paused briefly. 

“Well, he just oddly fit in. I still hated everything about the man. Him and Alison became friends. It was not until his office caught on fire that he cut himself out of our lives. Roughly six months after Myra vanished is when I arrested him.” He looked at Joseph. He could see the question on the tip of his tongue. The question he did not want to answer. It brought a bitter taste to his mouth thinking about what Ruvik had done. “Let’s just say that it messed a lot of people up. Not something I want to talk about.” 

Their food suddenly came. They thanked their waitress before they started eating. Joseph looked at Sebastian while he started eating. “I understand,” he said. The older detective looked up at him with a bit of a confused. “You don’t have to tell me anymore. I just… I just wanted to know.” He began eating his food. Sebastian smiled at the younger man. 

It felt like they had a lot of their dirty laundry out in the open and they knew who each other really was. Juli was right. They were not young anymore where they had be cautious about who your romantic partner was. Sebastian was positive Joseph could have anyone he wanted. He still was fairly young and had the prettiest face he had ever seen on a man. Sebastian was an old man. He was broken beyond repair. He was fortunate that Joseph did not see him when he lost his daughter and when his ex wife went missing. Everything in his life was just broken. He felt like that Joseph and Leslie were his way back to a life he always wanted. 

He wanted to raise a family. He wanted to have someone to protect again. That’s why he was thankful that Joseph wanted him among all of the other attractive men in the world. Sebastian began eating his food. However, it seemed that now everything seemed to be going really well. They told jokes and funny little stories. Sebastian learned that one of Joseph’s favorite books is Watership Down. Joseph was just an interesting person in general. Sebastian just had mostly violent stories from high school. But, he told stories on when he was a member of the football team. Joseph clearly found them very entertaining. 

After dinner Sebastian took Joseph to an ice cream parlor for dessert. He told him that this place had the best sundaes he had ever had. Joseph laughed at how excited his date was about this place. The ice cream store was a simple little place. The sign read Pinky’s Ice Cream in bright pink neon colors. The interior was light pink wallpaper with white stripes. The people working there had on pink and blue aprons with baby pink hats. Sebastian ordered their sundaes. He made sure that Joseph’s sundae did not have any nuts, but he got all of his nuts instead. Joseph found it cute that this big, tough cop was ordering from this cute little ice cream shop. It was adorable. 

After getting their sundaes, the two men settled in the back. Joseph took a bight. “This is good,” he smiled at his date. 

“You should try it with the coffee flavored ice cream,” Sebastian said. Joseph shook his head. “I used to come here when I was younger.” 

“I think Leslie would like this place,” Joseph said looking around. The place was brightly colored. It also had a sweet and calming environment that seemed like something Leslie would gravitate towards. “Seb, this has been a lot of…” 

“Give me all your money,” they heard a man shout. He wore a black mask and held a gun out. Thet innocent people that were there hid under their tables afraid to do anything. Sebastian and Joseph sat there looking at the man. Sebastian honestly knew this was a standard robbery, nothing fancy, probably a repeat offender. He did not want to deal with this. He stood up from the table him and Jojo were sitting at. Detective Castellanos stalked over to him with an angry expression over his face. “Sir, go back to your seat.” The masked man demanded. 

Sebastian responded with a punch to the criminal’s face. He fell to the ground. Sebastian straddled his back, placing the handcuffs on the stupid guy’s wrist. “He’s restrained now,” he assured the costumers of the establishment. “Go about your business. Jojo, let’s take him in.” Joseph rolled his eyes. He followed the man as he dragged the guy outside. Sebastian threw him in the back of his car. He turned to Joseph. “I’m sorry. I promise we will make it quick.” 

“Yeah,” he smiled getting in the car. Sebastian groaned. He had so much more planned. However, it would seem like the plans he had tonight would have to wait for another date. If they even had another one. 

 

The two arrived and took him through processing. Now, it was time for paperwork. As they worked Joseph laughed a little playfully. Sebastian looked up rather surprised by the sudden laugh. It just did not seem like him. “What’s so funny, Oda?” 

“The date,” he answered finishing his last signature. “I’m done. Need any help?” 

“No,” he groaned. “I’m almost done. And what do you mean the date?” 

“I’ll answer you when we are out and heading back home,” he said standing up. Sebastian rolled his eyes as he went to focus on the last of the dreaded paperwork. He finally finished. Joseph was waiting for him. “Ready to go-go, Jojo?” 

“Why must people insist on using that stupid nickname?” Joseph asked looking at the man. 

“Because it is adorable,” he answered. Joseph just laughed because there was no response to that statement. “Come on. You need to get home.” He wrapped an arm around Joseph unknowingly. The smaller man blushed a little, but did not point it out. It was nice. Being in the warmth of the older man was strangely comforting. 

Joseph arrived home with the older to his apartment door. They were both laughing about the man they arrested face. It was bruised by time they arrived back to the station and just had the dumbest look on his face. They were now standing in front of Joseph’s apartment door. “Tonight was a lot of fun,” Joseph blurted out. He did not want tonight to end. “Even with the paperwork.” 

Sebastian laughed, moving his head back. “I’m happy you had fun,” he looked at Joseph. He looked down right kissable. Could he kiss him now? 

He then felt Joseph’s lips pressed against his own. It was a soft, gentle kiss that he was not expecting. Sebastian deepened the kiss. His tongue ran across his date’s bottom lip and Joseph opened up allowing entrance. The kiss began to become more heated. Joseph pressed further into the man; both of their bodies were now extremely close together. Sebastian gently ran his hands down Joseph’s back making sure not to harm the still healing wounds. His goal was that firm ass. The beautiful buttocks that everyone took notice of. His hands were so close to gripping them tightly. 

But almost like it went in slow motion, he saw the door opening and Joseph broke away to avoid being caught kissing like this. In the doorframe was Juli Kidman trying to hide a smirk. Sebastian could seriously harm her if she was not the one to keep Leslie company tonight. Joseph had a light blush on his face. 

“Good thing I opened the door,” she said with a giggle. She giggles now. Wow. Great. “Well, Leslie is on the couch and I can’t move him. So, I got to head home. See you two tomorrow.” She left the apartment quickly. Sebastian ran a hand down his face. 

“Need help moving Leslie to his bed?” He asked Joseph. 

“Yeah,” he smiled, blush still clearly visible on his face. Sebastian loved that red tint on his face. It made him look so adorable. 

Sebastian walked into the apartment. Leslie was sprawled on the couch. He looked rather peaceful. Sebastian gently picked him up, still preparing to pick up something heavier than he actually was. He knew Joseph fed him well, but he felt so skinny. He carried him to the bedroom. He placed him down. Leslie instantly curled into a ball. Joseph placed a blanket on him. The younger detective gently brushed the hair out of Leslie’s face with his gloved hand. He sighed happily looking at his sleeping son. Sebastian knew that look. The same look he gave Lily when he tucked her into bed. He then stood up. Sebastian watched him from the doorframe of Leslie’s room. 

He led him away from the room so they could talk privately. “Seb, I really… I really hope we do this again,” he managed to say. “The date was kind of perfect.” 

“Yes,” he agreed. “Italian food, ice cream, and attempted robbery. The ingredients to the perfect date.” 

Joseph laughed a little too loudly, but he quickly quieted down to keep from waking up his sleeping child. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I guess I’ll see you Monday.” 

“Shouldn’t you still be resting?” Sebastian asked motioning to the back of the smaller man. 

“I need to speak with the Chief about something,” he said. “It’s about when I can return.” 

“Thank God,” Sebastian said. “I need my partner back.” 

Joseph kissed Sebastian gently. He looked at the older man with a kind smile on his face. “I’ll be happy to be back too,” he grabbed onto Sebastian’s hand. The feel of the leather gloves felt good on his hands. It was a strange feeling, but it still felt good. The quiet moments were peaceful. Just the two of them. Sebastian knew he had to go back to his empty home, but he was enjoying the time he spent with Joseph. 

“You know, I need to go back home,” he finally said, disturbing the peaceful silence. “If I stay here any longer I am most likely going to be sleeping with you.” 

Joseph blushed at the idea of the bigger man sleeping beside him. He was not opposed to that idea. However, it would be best if they slept separately, only until they’ve gone on their second date. “Yeah,” he said. “Goodnight, Seb.” 

“Goodnight, Jojo,” he let go of his hand. Sebastian left the apartment. He sighed walking out into the night air. Taking out a cigarette, he began walking back to his car. Despite not being able to spend the date how he wanted to, he was still happy by the end result, if only Kidman hadn’t interrupted him. He smirked though. He knew that there would be many more dates to have with Joseph Oda. The idea kept that smirk on his face, also him away from a late night drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIRST DATE!!!!! AHHHH!!! We also learned a little (very little, but I will address it all later I promise). My sister actually came up with the robbery for this chapter, which I felt like it was perfect. Hope you all like this chapter! I will be posting a Christmas oneshot, so keep an eye out. Love all your faces! Also, very soon Leslie will have many more chapters purely staring him because he is my little baby! Anyways, see you next Sunday! Love each and every one of your faces! Keep being amazing! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!


	20. Did You Fuck Yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a fun little chapter of people wondering about the sex life of Sebastian and Joseph.

Sebastian looked across from his desk, disturbed to hear the constant laughing by a one Juli Kidman. He glared at her. The rookie looked down, but the smile was still on her face. Sebastian became very annoyed with this rookie. He tried thinking of a way to shut her up, a little revenge never hurt. Besides it was her fault that he was unable to touch the most perfect ass that could have ever graced his life. He knew he would be able to touch it, but clearly not any time soon thanks to a certain rookie. No. He would have his revenge. 

The older detective stood up and walked away from his desk. He then acted like he was making coffee for the two of them, he was, but it was revenge coffee. He had poured a lot of salt into her cup. Yes. This was the perfect plan. He then walked over to the female detective, offering her the purple mug. She accepted it happily. He watched patiently for her to take that dreaded sip. His attention then gravitated to a certain Japanese Canadian walking through the door with an albino teenager. He instantly stood up to talk with him. He was still on leave, as far as he knew. Alison would be furious if she found out that he was at work. 

“Jojo, I thought you were still recovering,” Juli asked. 

Joseph shrugged. “The doctor said I could work, just not try too many strenuous activities,” he answered with a small smile. 

“Why is Leslie here?” Sebastian asked looking at the kid. He was holding some papers in his hands. Most likely schoolwork. 

“Bomb threat,” he deadpanned. Sebastian’s eye practically bulged out of his head. “False alarm though. However, I’m sure if it were a real threat I would be one of the first to know.” 

“Why?” Juli asked. 

“I trained with the bomb squad,” he answered. 

“Joseph Oda is a man of many talents,” Alison said walking into the building. She had her son and another boy with her. “You can set up in the conference room. As far as I’m aware we don’t have any crazy killers.” 

“Hey, Leslie,” said Chief Callahan’s son, Nathaniel. 

“Hi,” he said quietly. 

“Want to join us? We can study some math,” he asked. Leslie looked up to Joseph. He nodded. The three boys walked into the conference room. A soft smile graced the detective’s face watching the teenager actually interact with people. He then saw the eyes of Alison Callahan on him. She did not necessarily have a cold stare, but it was a stare that made him uncomfortable. It was almost like she could read someone’s mind. Clearly she could read his mind because she motioned for the two detectives to follow her to her office. 

Joseph and Sebastian exchanged glances before going into the office. They came into the office. She smirked at the two detectives. “So, I hear you two have struck a little relationship,” Alison commented. The two detectives looked at each other then back at their superior. 

“Yes.” 

“No.” 

Joseph and Sebastian said together. Their replies only caused an eye roll from the woman they call Chief Callahan. “Okay,” she placed her hands together. “Our former Chief ran into this problem once before.” Her eyes looked at Detective Castellanos. “And we all know how that turned out. Either way, I want you two to still work together because you strangely compliment each other. The only request I have is that you keep as much of your relationship away from detective work. Are we under an agreement? I won't make you two sign these stupid forms and be separated if you can keep everything professional?” 

“Does that include slaps on the ass?” Sebastian asked. Joseph turned a deep red. He could not believe he asked her that. 

“Yes,” she said. The older man whined. “Now, Detective Castellanos, get out of my office.” The man left, which made Joseph a little worried about what the Chief wanted to ask him personally. “Have you two fucked yet?” Well… That was blunt. He had never heard a more blunt question in his life. 

“We only just went out Friday,” he explained. “None of that.” He began walking out. “God. You’re even a mother.” 

Her eyes went wide. “I forgot my son was even here.” Joseph left the office without saying another word.

“This is disgusting!” He heard Kidman shouting across the station. He saw a sly smile on Sebastian’s face. 

“I don’t want to know,” Joseph said walking to his desk. Clearly him being gone was a bad idea. Joseph decided to get a little work done, although it was hard to concentrate when people wanted to know about his sex life.

What he does and who he does it with is none of their business. Honestly, being a parent to a child that is as innocent as they can get made him very protective over the child and that included discussions like this. It also does not help that he himself is not comfortable with the topic of doing the do. He could not believe that people thought that the two men were going to bang on their first date. Well, they would be wrong. Because some clearly forgot that one of them has a child. 

Joseph then turned on his work computer to see an email. He glared at it for a good fifteen seconds before opening the stupid little thing. The topic was a simple hello, but what was actually written in the email is what really irritated him. The email was clearly the theme of the day. Sebastian walked over to his partner and looked at the email. 

“That’s from Ruvik,” he said casually drinking his overly sweet coffee. Joseph looked at him. “Just ignore it. He kind of likes to keep tabs on relationships. I think it’s some way he can use it to his advantage to manipulate people. Don’t answer it.” 

“Why is everyone interested in our sex life?” Joseph whispered. He swore the world was going insane. Then he remembered that he was living in Krimson City: home to the crazies. Of course they wanted to know about the most intimate details of his life. However, that part of his life is virtually non-existent. 

“Hey, we don’t have to tell them anything,” Sebastian assured him very calmly. It was good that his current partner, and sort of boyfriend, is confident. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “Besides, that really is not their business.” 

Joseph smiled a little. It was strange that this man that had a temper like a raging fire could easily calm him. Normally it was the other way around. He made sure that Sebastian did not break the suspect’s nose and the other man made sure that his nose did not get broken during a pursuit. That is how they fell in the time they have been working together. He was happy that their relationship had blossomed into something more because it seemed like Sebastian really did care about his welfare. From the first time he met the man it felt like they had some sort of odd connection. In the end, Joseph knew that there was a reason why the two men were together like this. It just bugged the hell out of him that people wanted to know if they banged or not. 

The Canadian deleted the email, not wanting anything from that crazy man near him. Seriously, the guy fucking scared him. The very thought that Sebastian at one point was friends with the man is a weird thought. Well that term is used very, very loosely. Joseph simply wanted to some work. He looked over to see Leslie in the conference room with the two other boys. He seemed like he was having fun. Joseph then looked over to his partner. The man was desperately trying to do some work. Paperwork was never Sebastian’s forte. He was more suited to beat people up and discover who the murderer was. 

For a few hours Joseph did his work. Sebastian suggested that they should all have lunch today. The detective liked the idea of that. So, when it was time for lunch Joseph went to get Leslie. Before he entered the room he saw Leslie laughing, or what would be considered laughing. When he laughed his smile got bigger. Seeing that smile it was a good sign. He knocked on the door and the boys looked over in his direction.

“Hey, do you want any lunch?” Joseph asked Leslie. 

“Y-yes,” he said meekly. 

“This kid gets cuter every time he speaks,” one of the other boys commented. It caused a light blush to come on Leslie’s cheeks. 

“I-I’ll be back later,” he told them. He put away his stuff quickly and went out of the conference room. As much as he liked the fact that he had some friends, he did not like the comments they made about him. He did want to be called cute. It was embarrassing. At least when he was with Joseph he felt like he treated him like he was normal. He never called him cute or anything like that. He was his son. It comforted him. Leslie was overall happier with Joseph. Now that he was dating Sebastian Castellanos it brought a little relief that his adoptive father would not be lonely. Despite all the kindness Joseph had given him, he knew that he was secretly lonely and wished that he had someone that would keep him better company. 

Leslie in the end decided that he still wanted Joseph’s company. Besides it did seem like Sebastian would treat his father well and he seemed to like him as well. As long as Sebastian was beside him and his father he felt like they could become a real family. Leslie liked the idea. He smiled to himself as he sat in the back seat of the car. He noticed that they were at a little diner. Joseph was talking to Sebastian about a case that he was not paying attention to at all. His stomach began to growl. They then walked inside. Leslie looked at the little diner. 

The place was a little run down, but looked like it had some renovations a few years back. The sign on the place read Bill’s Diner. Real original name. The two men and teenager walked inside. Leslie looked at the interior. It was in an attempt to be a 50’s themed place. The seats were red with a white V in the middle along with stools on the bar. The tables were white to match the white Vs and the floors were black and white checkerboard patterned. Leslie would have guessed that if this place was back in the prime when it first opened it would have been very stunning, but now it looked rather run down. Sebastian must eat here a lot since he talked to the waitress so naturally. Leslie only looked down at the menu. He saw the interaction between the men. Joseph laughed when he told a joke. Joseph then turned his attention to Leslie. The boy looked up a little. 

“Leslie, what do you want?” He asked. His voice was always so calm. It brought at least a little bit of a piece of mind to the boy. 

“I d-do-don’t know,” he answered.

“I insist on getting a milkshake,” Sebastian said. Leslie looked at him with a curious expression. “Trust me, the milkshakes here are so good.” 

Leslie liked the idea. He looked towards Joseph for permission. “C-can I h-ha-have one?” He gave the biggest eyes he could. For some reason he was afraid that his father would say no. To his surprise the man laughed. He was confused by this action, mainly because he did not get what was so funny. 

“Of course you can,” he said with a big smile displayed on his face. “No need to bring out the puppy eyes.” 

Leslie, again, just looked at him with a confused look, but ultimately decided that it did not matter. He was happy to be getting this insanely good milkshake Sebastian had bragged about. After looking through the menu, they placed their order with the waitress. Joseph ordered a cob salad since he could eat it without his hands getting dirty. Leslie got a cheeseburger with a side of fries and a milkshake. Sebastian had a burger with everything on it with a side of onion rings. Clearly Joseph was the only healthy one at the table. However, Leslie needed some meat on his bones. That seemed to be all that Leslie was: skin and bones. 

They ate in peacefully with little conversations, which were mostly being lead by Sebastian. He tried getting Leslie to talk a little. He would mostly give one word replies or small little sentences. The child never really spoke for long amounts of time. He replied and was done. No beating around the bush or anything. Eventually, it was time for the two men to get to work. Leslie followed them out of the place back into the car. Leaning against the window, he looked out the beautiful city skyline. Everything about this place was beautiful. He liked the city. Knowing that people were always awake and doing something was interesting for him. He also knew about the dangers of the place, but as long as Joseph protected him the young albino knew that he would always be safe. 

He closed his eyes with a small smile on his face. Leslie suddenly jerked awake when he heard a dark voice say his name. He looked around the car. No. That voice was only in his head. It was not like he talked to the man, but that voice was scary. If Sebastian hated the man then he must really be scary. Leslie looked out of the car to realize they were pulling into the police station parking lot. He leaned against the seat. Joseph motioned for him to get out. He followed him. The teenager looked at the conference room where his two friends were. To be fair, only Nathaniel was his real friend, the other boy was nice, but he sometimes made Leslie uncomfortable. 

He went into the conference room. Joseph smiled as he saw Leslie chat with the other two boys. Sebastian placed a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. He turned around. “Are you proud of your shy little kid?” Joseph laughed. 

“When he does not talk to hardly anyone, it’s nice to see him smile,” he answered looking at his boyfriend. 

Sebastian wished he could just kiss him, because looking at those lips on Joseph’s face were like a drug. He wanted to have more, but alas, during working hours they were banned from any kind of relationship activities. Instead of sucking his face off he nodded taking a seat at his desk. Juli was looking at Sebastian. Joseph could easily tell that she was thinking of ways to get revenge. However, when Joseph sat down her attention turned to him. He felt young eyes looking over him. He groaned a little thinking about what could be going through her young mind. He knew that it was nothing good. 

The detective tried doing some work, but the eyes of the young rookie bore into his head. He tried to ignore her. However, the woman was persistent. He eventually looked at her. Juli smiled before placing her hands on top of the desk she was at. He placed the paperwork aside. 

Joseph motioned for her to speak. “How many people have you slept with?” She asked bluntly. Oh that woman was the most blunt person he had ever met. Perhaps that is why he liked her so much. She kept things honest. “I’m honestly curious. Because when you two actually sleep together it will be interesting for you to compare.” 

“I am a sex god,” Sebastian boasted. The rookie rolled her eyes. “I’m serious.” 

Joseph was red in the face. He calmed himself. He looked directly at her in the eyes. Juli had his full attention. “I’veneversleptwithanyonethatwaybefore,” the words went quickly that Sebastian almost did not catch what he said. Juli’s mouth dropped. She caught every word. “I mean I have done other stuff, just not what everyone else is thinking of.” 

“What?” Sebastian asked because he could not believe with someone as stunning as Joseph had not had a real sexual experience before. 

He shrugged, trying to stay calm. He did not care about who he did and did not do until dating Sebastian. Not that he did not want to have sex with the man, Joseph seriously wanted the older detective to bend him over, but that it was something that he never experienced. He just did not want to tell Sebastian in this way, but since Juli Kidman was so interested, he simply had to alleviate her pain of not knowing. “I had strict parents,” he explained. “Also when adopting a child at a young age does destroy any sexual desires someone might have.” 

“Not for me,” Sebastian blurted out. Juli looked at him with shock mixed with a little horror. This man was something else entirely. 

“I’m shocked,” she said looking down at her paperwork. 

“And how many good looking guys has our stunning rookie slept with?” Sebastian tried to embarrass her. 

“One,” she answered without looking up from her papers. “Then I met my girlfriend.” 

“Can’t wait to meet her,” Joseph said before getting back to work. “Now, can we stop discussing sex lives and get back to work?” 

“What about sex lives?” Chief Callahan asked from behind Sebastian. “Because clearly you have not heard about Sebastian’s reputation.” 

“Did you sleep with him?” Juli asked with wide eyes that were in horror of their chief sleeping with Detective Castellanos. 

“No,” she deadpanned. “During the time he was sleeping with multiple people I was dating my husband.” 

“That is always nice to know,” Joseph said in annoyed tone. People these days seemed to be incredibly horny. “Now, we do have children in this office and we have work to be doing.” 

“You’re right,” Chief Callahan agreed. She walked away without saying another word. Joseph sighed; exasperated by the people he was forced to be working with. His eyes then went to look at a one Sebastian Castellanos that was giving a comforting smile before he turned to his own work. 

“Joseph, so happy you’re back,” he heard Oscar Connelly say as he came to them. He tapped his back. Joseph stiffened. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.” He said. Juli and Sebastian exchanged looks before seeing Joseph standing up and walking away. Connelly looked confused by this action. “What did I do?” 

Juli pointed to her back. “Art Killer,” she explained. His eyes went wide. He completely forgot about the whole incident. He gave a silent fuck before Juli laughed lightly. “Poor Jojo.” 

Connelly looked ashamed of himself. How could he forget something that was one of the most messed up thing he had heard in a long time? He walked off without looking directly at the other two detectives. Juli looked at Sebastian. “Poor Oscar.” 

“Yup,” he agreed. Sebastian then found himself looking towards where the teenagers sitting in the conference. He saw them interact. It was mostly the chief’s son and his friend with Leslie listening to whatever they were talking about. For the most part he seemed to be enjoying himself, but when he saw a boy make a female figure with his hands he saw the very confused look at the young albino’s face. He laughed thinking at how innocent that kid really is. 

Sebastian turned his attention back to the task at hand. He then saw the Canadian return with a slightly irritated look. The slightly older male gave him, or attempted to give him, a comforting smile. Joseph grimaced before looking at his work again. The detective decided to let Joseph do his work for a few hours. 

 

The rest of the day passed quickly. Joseph stayed a little later than normal because Leslie was already here. Sebastian often checked on the poor kid to make sure that the other boys weren’t giving him a hard time. Luckily the boys were treating nicely. Sebastian then saw Alison’s husband come into the station to pick up the two other teenage boys. He was talking with his wife. He rolled his eyes when he saw her smiling brightly. Alison’s husband was a college professor at the local university. The two met while she was still training with the academy. The two had an instant connection from the moment they first laid their eyes on each other. 

The two walked to the conference room. Alison’s husband began talking with the boys. Sebastian looked over to Joseph. He seemed tired. Perhaps he is still recovering from the wounds he had received. “I think it’s time to go home,” Joseph looked at the clock and then his eyes focused on Sebastian. “You want to join us for dinner?” 

“Yes,” he answered immediately. “I will even cook.” 

“You? Cook?” Joseph could not believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Sebastian cooking was a rather foreign idea. Well, then again he had seen that he could cook before. Perhaps it is not such a foreign idea, just not a very common idea. “Alright, I’ll let you cook, as long as you behave yourself.” 

He leaned over the desk giving Joseph a smirk. “I don’t make any promises.” 

Joseph laughed before standing up. He went to get Leslie. The young boy came out with his backpack. Joseph smiled towards Sebastian. “I’ll see you at dinner,” he said beginning to walk outside. The older man ran after him. Joseph was at his car now. Leslie was in the front seat playing with his hands nervously. Sebastian called for Joseph. He turned around with a curious look playing on his face. “What is it now?” 

Sebastian pulled Joseph into his arms and gave him a kiss. Joseph had a bright blush on his face. “After work, so I thought I should do that.” Sebastian had a wide smirk on his face. A little yelp came from Joseph when a hand slapped his ass. “See you at dinner.” He walked away, laughing lightly to himself. 

“That is not funny,” Joseph yelled at his partner, who ignored him. The Canadian sighed getting into his car. He wondered what he was doing with a man like Sebastian, but then again he did not care. He was happy being with the man. Even Leslie was happy with the man around. A smile played on his face as he headed home. Certainly a relationship with Sebastian Castellanos is not a boring one and he could not be happier that this man kept things interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Not a big one, but I thought it was funny. Wouldn't you be like one of them wondering if they banged? I would. Anyways, later today the Christmas special will be up. Sorry I did not post it during Christmas, but my computer crashed and luckily I got a new one for Christmas! Also family was in town. Ugh. Hope you like the chapter! Your comments are amazing! Can't wait to see you next Sunday! Love all yo faces! Let me know what you think and ask if have any questions or ideas for future chapters or oneshots. See you next Sunday!


	21. Old Japanese Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little police function and no one is excited about attending it.

Joseph was fixing up Leslie’s tie. The boy was not happy about being in a suit at all. The teenager could hardly stay still for anything. Joseph began getting a little irritated, but he continued trying to help prepare the kid for tonight’s event. He then felt a familiar presence behind his back staring at him. Sebastian was watching his boyfriend fiddle with the child’s tie. He could feel a smirk on the man’s face. It had been two weeks since they started dating. In that time they had solved a case or two and gained on new one. Their relationship had also grown very brilliantly. Sebastian stayed over more often. And by more often meaning he stayed over one day a week to spend time with the little family. They weren’t having sex. No. Joseph was still a little too shy to do that. He hasn’t even shown the other man his hands yet. 

Maybe in the near future he will show his hands. Sebastian has been persistent in getting those gloves off, but to no avail. He know that Sebastian didn’t care about his hands, but it was still weird showing him the scars. It was still scary. He know it is silly, but for some reason he was worried the scars will scare the man away. They already know almost everything about one another. Almost being the key word. There were certain details in each of their lives that they did not talk about. It was an unsaid agreement that when they felt ready to tell the other about something they would listen. 

Now, as the older man stared at his boyfriend, he couldn’t help thinking that this was very domestic. It was just nice. Sebastian was wearing as pinstripe suit with a red tie. It was so much nicer than what he normally wore. Joseph noticed there was one wrong thing with this picture of handsomeness. The red tie was not set up properly and his buttons were not done up all the way. After he was done with Leslie he would have to fix that.   
“Do we really all have to go?” Sebastian whined. Joseph rolled his eyes. “I mean, seriously. I hate these kinds of functions. They are so pointless.” 

“It is important to the chief,” he explained. “It is our duty to go and make her look good.” 

“Duty yes, but she does not need our help to make her look good,” Sebastian stood up straighter. “Also, I really hate wearing this stupid suit.” 

Joseph finished tying the tie. He turned around to look at Sebastian with a smile. “I don’t know,” he walked over to him. He began fixing the buttons. “I think it looks very sexy on you.” 

A playful smirk played on his face. “If it will get me into bed with you.” Joseph became red. 

“You forgot about my child,” he said very irritated by the other man’s perverted innuendos. Leslie looked confused. Thank goodness he was the most innocent creature in the world. “Seriously, were you like this around your wife and daughter?” 

Sebastian thought for a minute. Normally when he mentioned Myra or Lily he had a guilty look, but lately he seemed to having it less and less. It was still there, but it didn’t make Joseph’s chest tighten like before. “Only when Lily was a baby,” he answered. 

“My boyfriend is such a weird person,” he said continuing to fix up the suit to make him look more presentable. 

“I still think we should skip this event though,” Sebastian looked down at Joseph. He could see an eyebrow rise as to what he might be wanting to do. “We should stay here and snuggle on the couch while eating pizza and watching old Japanese Godzilla movies.” 

“No one told you about my collection,” Joseph joked. Sebastian found out about the movies pretty early into their relationship. “And no.” 

“Oh come on,” he moved around to annoy Jojo. “There is nor reason for us to even be there.” 

“Yes there it,” he said. Sebastian looked at the man. “Juli’s girlfriend will be there. We can finally see the kind of woman our rookie likes and tease her.” 

“Okay. Fine. One good reason,” he said. Joseph smiled giving a little kiss on his cheek. 

“Alright,” he said looking at the two other men. “Let’s go. We wouldn’t want to disappoint Chief Callahan.” 

“W-will N-Nathaniel be there?” Leslie asked. 

“Yes,” he answered with a soft smile. Leslie nodded. He liked knowing there would be someone he would now at these kinds of events. “Now, we are going to be late. Come on.” Joseph walked out of the apartment.   
Sebastian looked down at Leslie. “Well, you heard the man. Let’s go.” Leslie walked out in front of Sebastian. The older man just smiled. They were adorable, Joseph and Leslie. He just hated that he could not treat Joseph like his boyfriend at this stupid police function. 

The three of them were heading for a police function that was held once a year. Chief Callahan had requested the presence of her best detectives and officers. Sebastian honestly did not want to go because he hated all the men in suits with their power. Joseph somehow convinced him to come since this was a big deal for the Chief. She wanted to show off the best of the best in the Krimson City Police Department. It had not been an easy year. As Alison explained what she expected of them while there and both of the men could tell she was nervous. Joseph had no problem playing the perfect detective; it was Sebastian that had the problem with behaving. 

Joseph waited beside the car for Sebastian to unlock it. Once he did they all piled inside. Sebastian watched as the two passengers in his vehicle strapped in. Leslie seemed a little upset about going to event, most likely because he is wearing a suit. Joseph seemed to be perfectly content with wearing clothing like this. Well, it is what he normally wears only fancier. Sebastian will admit it was nice seeing him wearing a jacket with the vest. Joseph always had the best clothing to show off his well-built body. Sebastian could honestly stare at it for ages. 

When they arrived at the building they saw Juli Kidman talking with a very attractive woman. She had red hair that was pulled in a bun and brown eyes. Her skin was very fair. She did look like someone that was Kidman’s type. She wore a green dress that came all the down to her ankles that was very classical style. Juli was wearing a blue dress that came down to her knees with a little jeweled belt. 

Sebastian whistled at the two women causing a bright blush to go over both Joseph and Juli, along with drawing the attention from a few people that were outside. The young rookie was not amused. 

“Can’t you grow up?” Julie asked, though she knew that would never happen. He looked for every possible chance to embarrass the young rookie. 

Sebastian laughed. “Well, I guess you aren’t going to take my whistling as a compliment. Bitch.” 

“You look beautiful,” Joseph said quickly.

“Thank you,” Juli said. “Oh, Leslie, you look so cute.” Leslie blushed looking down. “Also, this is my girlfriend Tanya. Tanya, this is Joseph and his son, Leslie. And this is Sebastian.” 

“Nice to meet you,” she shook their hands, except Leslie. He was very shy. 

They talked for a while before going inside. Leslie took in his surroundings. He saw a lot of people dressed up very nice clothing. They seemed to be enjoying their conversations with other such people that were important to their careers or very old friends. Leslie decided to stay close to Joseph and Sebastian because he did not want to talk to anyone. The only person he was actually interested in seeing tonight was his friend Nathaniel. He then saw the other boy in the distance with his mother. 

Joseph waved to her. She smiled seeing her top detectives approaching her. Chief Callahan approached them with an oddly appealing expression on her face. All of them were usually used to her looking sorry, angry, or scared. This facial expression, if they did not know any better, made her look like she was always happy and smiling. However, that was not the case with their beloved chief. They knew it was only for appearance sake. There were city officials here along with many people from the press. Sebastian groaned when he saw a few of them. Most of them were not pleasant to talk to because he thought they were rude or boring. It was mostly that last one. 

Tonight, though, Alison would not be relying on Sebastian to talk to any of these important people, nor would she call upon the attractive rookie. Instead it was Joseph Oda that took the role of a model detective to where she would display the amazing police force she had so painfully put together. He was attractive, intelligent, and could actually control his temper unlike a certain other detective that thinks it is a good idea to punch a suspect in the face while interrogating them. Yeah. Joseph was the perfect face to put on her police force. 

“Nice to see that all of you are dressed up,” she looked over to Sebastian. “Joseph is actually doing some good for you. Anyways, I am going to steal him for awhile.” 

“Why?” Joseph asked. 

“Because I need someone to present to all these officials,” she explained. “You are the perfect face that I can put with my department. So, let’s go rub some elbows.” She dragged Joseph away from the group of people. Leslie looked at Sebastian with a worried look. The older man ruffled his hair. Joseph would be mad that he messed up the kid’s hair, but Leslie seemed to be comforted by that. Sebastian looked over to where Joseph was talking with some city officials. He looked so elegant and put together. 

Sebastian decided to walk with Leslie to get something to drink. Leslie looked at all the people in fine clothing. He was just interested in all the people. He still not like being in big crowds. “Leslie,” he perked up upon hearing a familiar voice. He saw his friend Nathaniel coming towards him. His friend was wearing a navy colored suit with a white shirt and blue tie. Nathaniel even looked uncomfortable in a suit. Leslie gave a shy little smile that Sebastian thought was rather adorable. The boy seemed to be talking to him normally, which set his nerves at ease. He recalled Joseph saying something about how happy he was that the child was beginning to adjust into the world, despite everything that goes through his head. 

It seemed like all of Joseph’s life was revolved Leslie. Which was true about any parent. Who would not put their child’s needs above their own? It just seemed like he had a much harder time with living alone with a mentally ill child. However, it appeared Joseph did some good to the boy. The young detective was determined not to let anything happen to this boy and he kept to that promise. 

Leslie then walked off with Nathaniel because he was dragging him somewhere. Sebastian rolled his eyes. He turned his attention back to Joseph. The perfect detective Alison had chosen to show off. Everyone seemed to love him. Great. Now more than just the police department knew about his sexy butt. Sebastian turned away not wanting to see the interaction with Joseph and these stick in the mud officials. Instead he went to talk with Juli. She would provide with some interesting conversation topics. Sebastian just wanted anything to distract him from seeing the city officials looking Joseph over. Did they not realize that was his boyfriend they were looking at? Seriously. The nerve of some people.

 

It passed an hour and Joseph was still being shown off. Sebastian really wished this was one of those cheesy banquets, but it was not. Just a stupid social gathering to where people can rub elbows or just talk among each other. These events always irritated Sebastian because they always required him to be on his best behavior. He was not the type of person to just naturally behave when important people were around. Sebastian was tempted to walk over to Joseph and give him a breath-taking kiss. However, that would upset Chief Callahan so he waited patiently for that woman to return his boyfriend. 

Sebastian saw Leslie with his friend. He should really be relieved that he decided to befriend the chief of police’s son. He surely would be going through some sort of police training where he can defend himself. Sebastian swore that if anything happened to Leslie whilst he was in the care of that teenager he would insure that he would be severely hurt. However, since this place was filled with police officers it was a pretty safe place. He was certain Juli Kidman was hiding her gun underneath her dress somewhere. He looked over to Joseph one more time. What he saw made the blood running through his veins go extremely cold. 

A younger politician was talking to his Joseph, trying to flirt with him. He saw all the signs. He pushed close to Joseph to act like he was listening more intensely to him, he gave Joseph little touches on his arms, and just looked like was wanting to rip the very clothes Joseph had on his back apart. He had to interfere now, despite how angry or furious Alison will be at him. This was his boyfriend and there was no way in Hell he would let anyone else, but him, touch or even look at him that way. There was the though that many he was a little too possessive, but he quickly squashed that idea. He was not possessive. Fine. He was. But that was his Jojo that this man was talking to. 

Taking a deep breath one of Krimson City’s finest began walking over towards the two men. He pretended like nothing was bothering him, he even brought something to drink while he was over there. Perhaps he could give it to Joseph and then that man would get the right idea, hopefully the bright idea to stay away from his man. He then came up to them. Joseph looked surprised to see him.   
“Detective Castellanos, you have been rather scarce tonight,” the man said. He was about the same age as Jojo, maybe a little old. He had smooth brown hair and brown eyes. If Sebastian remembered correctly his name was John. “I was having a very pleasant conversation with your partner, Joseph.” 

Did he just call Joseph by his first name instead of calling Detective Oda? Yes. Yes he did. This guy was really getting on his nerves and he barely an entire context of speech to him. Not even a real sentence. This was bad. He decided to get Joseph away from him before he punched the next mayor of Krimson City. “Uh, yeah,” he said. “I was talking with some old friends of mine.” 

“I thought you were just being anti-social like always,” John gave a slight smirk. Someone better hold Sebastian back before he gives this guy a new hole. “But, the important thing is that you’re still in good health. Glad to see the drinking problem has not effected your work.” Joseph better hold him back for the love of all things job related. 

Clearly Joseph sensed his partner/boyfriend’s anger towards this man. “So, where is Leslie?” Joseph changed to subject dramatically. The other man looked very confused. Joseph just had a kind smile on his face. 

“With Nathaniel,” he answered. 

“W-Who is Leslie?” John asked. He did not recall anyone by that name on the guest list. Then again, he only cared to learn which detectives were appearing tonight. 

“My son,” Joseph answered without loosing a beat. “I thought it would be good for him to come here.” 

“I see,” he said. Sebastian smirked. Clearly he thought that he could get dirty with Joseph at his apartment and then leave in the morning. Nope. Cannot do that when there is a child living there. 

“Oh, Joseph,” he said acting like he remembered something. “Chief Callahan wants to see us. John, nice seeing ya again. Good luck in the elections.” He quickly walked away. Joseph gave a goodbye before following Sebastian wherever the hell he was leading him. Using the chief as a way to get away from that man. Not a bad idea at all. The two walked to the hallway. Joseph gave him a questioning look. “I was about to punch that guy.” 

Joseph laughed. “I could sense it,” he said. The detective kissed his cheek. “I have the weirdest boyfriend ever.” 

“Mr. Oda,” Sebastian did a mock tone. “I cannot believe you just showed some affection towards someone in public.” 

“Shut up,” he playfully punched him. “Better than you practically threatening to kill someone by your stare alone.” 

“Hey, that guy was talking to my Jojo and looked like he was undressing you with his eyes.” Sebastian argued. “No one looks undress Jojo with their eyes but me.” 

Joseph blushed at that. His eyes then widened. “I’ve got to check on Leslie,” he said walking back into the room. Always worrying. Which is kind of a good thing considering he was raising a mental case. Sebastian saw Joseph’s face turn cold when he saw John talking with Leslie. The kid seemed like he did not want to be talking with the man at all. He was fidgeting and desperately trying to look for some sort of comfort. Nathaniel was nowhere in sight. He then spotted him talking with a pretty girl in a black dress. Joseph resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He approached the two with a not so pleasant look. Sebastian was not certain he had seen that look on his face until now. 

“John, I see you met my son,” Joseph said. The man turned around. He looked at the two people for a brief moment; a little shocked that Leslie was his son. Then again people generally do not think about adoption. Seriously, is it that hard to think that someone like Joseph would adopt a child? Apparently when someone as attractive as Joseph Oda adopted a child it was a very hard thing to believe. “I adopted him.” The man was still very shocked. The child was a nervous wreck. No one would possibly want a child like this. 

Leslie looked up at his father with big eyes. Joseph knew that he wanted to go home. He did not like it here with all these people. He did not like the man that was talking to him at all. “Joseph, he doesn’t look too good,” Sebastian joined the game. He reached over to touch Leslie’s forehead. The young albino looked up at the big hand across his head. “Yeah. He’s got a little bit of a fever. We should really take him home.” 

Joseph resisted the urge to smile a little. He knew that this was Sebastian’s way of getting out of this function, but perhaps they all should leave. Joseph had already been the good detective for Chief Callahan. He thought that it would be a good idea to go back home. “Then we should really head home,” Joseph said. He smiled at John. “Sorry for leaving like this. But, my child comes first. Take care.” He began to lead his child outside of the building. Sebastian went to Alison to explain to her that they would be leaving. 

“Hey, Alison,” he began. The woman looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “The three of us are leaving early. Leslie is sick.” 

“Bullshit,” she said. “You guys are using that as a excuse to leave early.” 

“Pretty much. Besides, don’t you think you showed Joseph off enough already?” Sebastian really wanted to leave with the two and watch old Godzilla movies. Of course that is what he wanted to do anyways, but they had to at least make a brief appearance. 

“Yeah,” she took a drink. “Go ahead a leave. I still have an attractive young rookie. Have fun. See you tomorrow.” 

Sebastian smiled before walking away to meet up with Joseph. The two were waiting outside beside the car. “Can we go now?” Joseph asked. 

“Of course,” he smiled. They all got in the car. The two men talked about random topics, even getting Leslie to talk a little bit. Joseph then noticed that Sebastian stopped at a pizza place. He looked over to the man with a raised eyebrow. “We need food if we are going to watch Godzilla movies.” 

Joseph playfully rolled his eyes. He saw the man walk inside. While he was inside, the Canadian wondered how he ended up with someone like Sebastian Castellanos. He was certainly not expecting that he would have a relationship like this with one of the most uncontrollable detectives he had ever met. It the time he worked along side with the man he had learned to never get in his way and to never let him get his way. No matter way, it was an interesting partnership. Now the fact that they were seeing each other it made it more interesting. Everything Sebastian did was special for Joseph. He knew that the man would not do this for anyone. It warmed his heart. 

Sebastian soon returned to car holding a large pizza. He asked if Joseph could hold it. “Seb, seriously, we are not going to eat all this.” 

“That is why they invented leftovers,” Sebastian said with a smirk. They went back home. Sebastian took off his tie, placing it on the chair. Jojo and Leslie went to their rooms to put on something less restricting. Once they were all in most comfortable clothes, except for Sebastian who only removed his jacket and tie. They all settled down on the couch with a giant pizza on the coffee table. Leslie was snuggled against Joseph wrapped in a blanket. Joseph had leaned his head against his boyfriend’s chest. This was perfect. All of them together like this is nice. 

Joseph looked at his gloves. He had yet to show Sebastian his hands. He was scared. They disgusted him. Even so Joseph felt like he could trust the man, more so than others. He began wondering what those calloused hands felt like against his own. Joseph hesitantly took off both gloves. Sebastian noticed this and had a look of surprise when he felt a scarred hand hold onto his own. He held onto the hand gently. Joseph had a look of worry etched on his face. Sebastian knew he was scared, so he responded by holding the hand a little tighter and running his thumb over his hand. This small action made every doubt wash away. Joseph could not imagine his life without Sebastian; he could not picture it any more perfect than this. His two most favorite people in the world were around him, they were watching old Godzilla movies, and just comfortable together. Joseph felt truly happy. 

He leaned closer to the other man. “Seb, I think you should bring some clothes over,” he whispered. Sebastian laughed a little looking at his suit. Yeah. He really did need something to change into. “I mean, if you are going to be staying and spending the night here, you need some clothes. You are going to be here a lot, aren’t you?” 

A smiled graced his boyfriend’s face. He kissed him gently. “Yeah,” he answered. “I plan on spending a lot of time here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting one step closer to what you all really want! And I want that too lol. But I do hope you like the chapter. Let me know what you think. Like always, if you have any questions do let me know. I don't bite! Also, I am writing a little short fic for this series called The Students of Ruvik. If you have any ideas for this, let me know please and thank you! And as always, thank you for being awesome! Love all yo faces! Keep being amazing!!


	22. High School Reporters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie gets dragged along for a school project where he meets a certain genius.

Leslie is by no sense a sneaky person, he is honestly only very quiet that people think he is like a ghost. Joseph would even get a little scared when the small teenager would accidently sneak up behind him. Well, it is this reason, his natural ability to sneak around and being quiet, that someone caused him to join the Krimson City High School newspaper. It really was not his doing, so much that Nathaniel dragged him to join since he felt like his friend would make for a really great reporter. Leslie thought differently. The kid really just wanted to keep to himself and do school work in peace. 

Alas, that was not his faith since his closest friend wanted him to join. Which he did. Leslie sat in the room awkwardly waiting for his friend to join him. He observed all the people chatting and laughing together. He wished he could act so carefree, but a part of his brain couldn’t be normal. He wasn’t normal. He would never be normal. Doctor Jimenez made sure he knew that until he left. It was hard to accept that part about him, but Joseph made him feel normal. At least there is one person that allowed him to feel normal. 

“Leslie,” he heard his friend call out. Everyone immediately looked towards the tiny albino. Leslie blushed deeply looking down. Nathaniel came to sit by him. “You’re always early. Has Amanda come in yet?” 

“N-no,” he said. Amanda was Nathaniel’s current crush and head of the editor for the school newspaper. His friend had every intention on making her his girlfriend. 

Suddenly a girl with long black hair and severe cut bangs came into the room. She wore a dark blue dress with black tights and boots. She sat down at the table. “Alright, this week’s issue is dealing with what makes Krimson City unique,” she said. Everyone groaned. “I know it’s lame. But this time they are letting us have free range about what we right. So, I think we should focus on things like police, medical fields, and perhaps maybe a little on political and nonpolitical powers of the city. We always wanted to do something edgy, well, this is edgy.” She looked at Nathaniel and Leslie. “Would you two be interested in interviewing your parents for this issue?” 

“Leslie and I don’t really want to interview my mom or his dad,” Nathaniel said with a slight frown. “We kind of want to branch out.” 

Amanda looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Okay,” she said looking at two other reporters. “You two interview the police department. I want every detail about any weird cases and how they are keeping the city safe.” The two of the other reporters nodded. She then turned to look at Leslie and Nathaniel. “You two can come with me. We are going to Beacon Mental to interview a few doctors there. New research emerged and it seems interesting.” 

“Sounds fun,” Nathaniel said. “Doesn’t it, Leslie?” 

Leslie nodded his head, though the very idea of going to Beacon scared him a little. However, he would stay with his friend so it wouldn’t be that bad. Still didn’t like the idea of visiting that place, but would still follow through with his promise. 

“Great,” she smiled. “Alright, let’s get on with the rest of the assignments.” She began talking to other students about what they should do and how to go about it. Once the meeting was done she approached them. “So, do you guys want to come with me to Beacon today? I actually already scheduled a meeting with a few of the doctors there. Is that cool?” 

“Totally,” Nathaniel smiled. Leslie looked at him with a concerned expression. He had not informed his father of this yet. Amanda smiled before walking away. “Leslie, sorry. I know your dad is strict about your whereabouts, but come on! Amanda Williams man. Please come with us. I can’t do this without you.” 

“Why?” He asked. Leslie moved his head to the side a bit confused. 

“Because you’re an awesome wingman,” he said. “Besides, she likes you. Just talk to your dad please.” 

“O-okay,” he said taking out his phone. He began texting his father. The teenager looked at his friend. “Y-you owe m-me big.” 

Nathaniel brought him into a hug that caused Leslie to blush a bright red color. “Thank you so much,” he said. He let go of the smaller and went to talk about riding plans with Amanda. 

Leslie looked down at his phone. ‘Nathaniel will bring me home. Doing school paper research. Is that okay?’ He sent the message. Shortly after he received a response from his father telling him that he can go as long as he was safe. Leslie smiled down at his phone. He then walked over to the two people conversing with one another. Amanda smiled kindly at Leslie. Well, at least Nathaniel picked nice people to date. They explained that they would all be piling into Amanda’s car since it had the most room. Leslie smiled. After school they would be going to the place he hated the most, but it was all in the name of high school reporting. What a bunch of bull crap. 

 

The day went much quicker than Leslie thought was possible. He walked with Nathaniel to meet up with Amanda. She began talking with them about what the article will be about. It was mostly around with how the doctors have made amazing strides research and cures, along with the fact that it is one of the most central foundations in this city where funding seemed to come out of nowhere. Amanda seemed to think it was strange that the local hospital had to have charity functions every couple of months just to keep the nurses paid well, but Beacon was different. It seemed to just be a staple in the lives of this city. 

Nathaniel thought it was strange himself, but his mother often explained that it did good work and kept bad people with problems away. He did not have an honest opinion about the place. Leslie felt differently about places like this. In his childhood he’s been forced to be in these sort of places. His real father tried constantly to send him there, but after a few days his mother would pull him out and tell him that he would never go back there. It wasn’t until his father died that he felt at peace. Then his mother married a new man who was nice to Leslie. He never tried sending him there. But that did not last long enough. His happiness became no more. 

Now Joseph kept him out of bad places like this. He just did not want to be there. Leslie was honestly scared of whom they would be interviewing and whom they would be interacting with. No good ever came from Beacon. 

The three teenagers arrived. Amanda walked to the front desk informing the woman that they were there to speak with three of their doctors. She smiled calling for one of the men. Leslie instantly froze when she said the name Doctor Jimenez. He didn’t want to see him. Not after what Joseph did to him. Leslie knew that the man lost his job, most likely his respect too, when he became apart of Joseph’s family. Now, he was here. Why would they let a man like him be here? Why would they allow such a monster to roam these halls? Why… 

“Hello,” the tired, old voice said. Leslie looked up to see a different man than what he associated with that name. He could see similarities in their facial features, only this other Jimenez was much more slim. “I’m Marcelo Jimenez. You must be the high school reporter.” 

“Yes,” she smiled. “I’m Amanda Williams and these are my partners. Nathaniel Callahan and Leslie Oda. It’s such a pleasure to meet you in person. My father wrote an article about you a few year back when you received a promotion here.” 

“Yes I remember your father,” he said with a smile, though to Leslie it did not seem pleasant. “And I believe these two boys have parents that work in the police department. I have met Chief Callahan a few times.” 

“That’s my mom,” Nathaniel said. “Leslie’s dad is one of her detectives.” Leslie fidgeted a little when the man turned his attention to him. All the Jimenez family members are the same. Always giving that judgmental stare. 

“Ni-nice t-to meet you…” Leslie said keeping his hands close. He avoided eye contact. That way he won’t know what he looks like or see that face. 

“Well, let’s go to my office,” he said leading the way. Amanda walked in front of the two boys with a strong stride. Nathaniel looked back at Leslie.

“Hey, Les, will you be alright?” He asked concerned about his friend. The teenager nodded his head. 

“I-I’ll be fine,” he answered despite feeling a deep dread from meeting this man. The two other people didn’t need to know about his past. They didn’t need to know how broken he was. Besides, if he told them they would think he was a freak. Leslie was just starting to feel normal. 

Nathaniel then went back to walking with Leslie not far behind. Marcelo led them to his office. The teenagers looked around at the state of the office with papers everywhere and files on the coffee table. Amanda smiled at the man as she took out her pen. 

“So, Doctor Jimenez,” she began. “How long have you been working at Beacon?” 

“A long time,” he answered. “Maybe somewhere around fifteen or more years.” 

“And only within the past five years you have been promoted,” she stated. “Why did it take so long for a man such as yourself to be recognized?” 

Marcelo opened his mouth to speak when a nurse rushed inside. “Doctor, a patient is out of control,” she said with a panicked expression. “We need your assistance right away.” 

“Terribly sorry,” he said standing up. He seemed relieved. “Hopefully we can do this another time.” 

“No worries,” Amanda said with a sly smile. “We have two other doctors to interview you. When we are done we will come back to see if you are done. Good luck.” 

Marcelo left with the nurse. Amanda turned to look at her two male sidekicks. Leslie was beginning to think it might be wise to just leave the place, but he would not voice his opinion otherwise. Instead he will simply be a bystander like he is used to being. 

“Nathaniel and I are going to talk with the other two men,” Amanda told Leslie. “Can you stay here and wait for Doctor Jimenez?” He looked at her with scrunched together eyebrows. “All you have to do is make sure he doesn’t leave his office before we get back. You don’t even need to talk to him. Can you do that?” 

Leslie nodded his head, though it felt like a very bad idea. Ideas were always bad when it came to a Jimenez brother. Seriously, what is with the psychology attracting horrible people like the Jimenez brothers? At least the doctor knew that his father was a cop. 

“J-just hurry back,” he said bringing her hands close together. 

“We will,” Nathaniel said. The two left. Leslie sighed looking around the office. He groaned flopping on the couch. It felt very weird and uncomfortable to be here. A few minutes passed when he decided to look about the office. He looked at the bookshelves. The man had all sorts of classic literature, stupid little trinkets, and other random things. There were no pictures of family members. Perhaps the two brothers did not like each other very much or that they must be very competitive with one another. Leslie continued on with the little look around. 

Then he spotted something that seemed a little odd. There was a little brass piano on the shelf. He reached up to look at it. He never thought that a Jimenez would like music. It was at that moment that the sound of music was coming from behind the bookshelf. He raised an eyebrow. He knew that song. It was a song his mother would often play when she felt sad. Leslie recognized that it was Moonlight Sonata. He then moved the piano and a door on the side of the bookshelf opened. It had blended perfectly that no one could tell what it was. 

The sound of the piano playing came from down that dark hall. He decided to go in and investigate. Anything was better than remaining in this office. He slowly began walking down keeping his hands against the wall to keep from tripping or loosing his way. All the while he heard that song being played so beautifully. His mother tried teaching him when he was younger. It was fun having her as a teacher. She was calm, relaxed, and would never yell at him. He did find out that he loved listening to it much better than playing it. The notes are what enchanted him. Now hearing them coming from an unknown location peaked his curiosity. 

Leslie then saw a little light. He touched into the blackness to see it was a door with a little window that showed light. He looked through it and saw nothing, but still heard the music being played. No one was in there. He opened the door. The music still played. The teenager looked about the place. It looked like it could house several other people, but there was no one in sight. He then turned to look over to the cell in the center of it all. In the corner of the cell was a man in a hood playing Moonlight Sonata. Leslie began walking towards the cell. He was interested. He was curious. 

Leslie stepped closer pressing his hand against the glass. He looked curiously at it. It suddenly stopped. The man began another piece. One he did not recognize. The song was still dark feelings, but peaceful. He listened to the mysterious person play. He was entranced by the music. It soothed him so much. But he then again stopped playing in the middle of the song. Leslie looked surprised. The man turned around to face him. Leslie gasped a little, more out of surprise than anything. The kid was not expecting him to turn around. 

“S-sorry,” he said removing his hand away from the glass. The strange man kept looking at him. “I-I h-heard y-yo-your music.” 

“How did you get here?” The dark voice asked. Leslie felt like he heard this voice before, but could not exactly place where he first heard it. 

“A d-door in the… in the o-office,” he answered. The man stood up. Scares covered his body. Leslie took everything in with an intense gaze. He was interested. Leslie realized that he was staring and looked down. “Sorry.”

“I’m Ruben,” he said. Leslie looked up. 

“Leslie,” he said. Ruben smiled at him. 

“So, you found a secret tunnel,” he stated. Leslie nodded his head. “What were you doing in the office that the door was in?” 

“S-school n-newspaper,” he answered. Leslie had to admit he liked talking to Ruben. He seemed nice despite how scary he kind of looks. “W-why are y-you here?” 

“Some people think I’m dangerous,” Ruben answered. Leslie didn’t seem to think he seemed dangerous. So far the man had been nice. “Being behind the glass helps people feel more in control. They also are scared of me.” 

“B-because of th-the scars?” Leslie asked. Ruben nodded his head. The teenager looked over his body. The scars did not look pretty, almost like they had a life of their own that made them appear to be constantly angry. He wondered how the scars came to be. Leslie found himself drawn to this stranger for some strange reason. The only thing that bothered is that he did not know where he heard that voice before. 

“Leslie, are you still there?” Ruben asked. The teenager realized he was zoning out. “Is something wrong?” 

“I h-heard y-you before,” he said trying to go through his memories. The only recent one was the voice through the phone when they searched for his dad… It’s him. He began backing away. This person is bad. Leslie had a feeling that he was dangerous. “I-I n-ne-need to g-go…” He began shaking. 

“I won’t hurt you, if that is what you think,” he said. Leslie avoided eye contact. It was the only defense he had against people. At least this way he wouldn’t see the malicious intent on the person’s face. “I actually find your interesting.” 

Leslie looked up at the comment. He found him… interesting? That never happened. People pitied him more than wanted to know who he truly was. “W-why are you here?” 

“Because I did not calculate something correctly,” he answered. Leslie knew he was keeping the truth from him, but now meeting this man it felt like he could strangely become friends with him. There was still something ominous about him. There was still evil that he could feel. Leslie, however, could look away from that. He found someone that might understand him. Maybe he found a friend. 

His phone then went off causing Leslie to yelp a little. He answered it. “Hello,” he said knowing it was Nathaniel. 

‘Hey. Amanda and I are done with other two doctors, but Jimenez is not coming back. Come meet us out front.’ 

“Okay,” he said hanging up. Leslie looked at Ruben. “I have to… I have to go. C-can I visit?” 

Ruben nodded his head. “Although, it will be difficult. I don’t get many visitors,” he admitted. “But if you figure a way to get in here, I wouldn’t mind that.” Leslie smiled at him. 

“Bye,” he said before going through the secret door he found. Ruben watched him leave the halls. Well, the kid certainly was interesting. He did not disappoint him at all. In fact he found the kid almost cute. Ruvik certainly could not wait to tear into him. 

Leslie went to the front of the building where his friends were waiting for him. They got back inside Amanda’s car. She was complaining about how that man cancelled on them. Leslie was actually very happy about that. At least this way he could not have to be in the same area as a Jimenez. Nathaniel noticed that Leslie seemed very quiet, which was not odd, but it was weirder than that. 

“Something wrong, Les?” He asked looking at his friend. Leslie shook his head. He did not want to his friends to know anything about his past. He did not want them know that he had met his brother, Valerio. They did not need to know about the days before living with Joseph. 

“J-just thinking,” he trailed off looking out the window. 

“You sure?” He asked. “You just seem more spaced out than normal.” 

Leslie did not know what to say. No one at his school knew about his mental health issues, aside from Nathaniel. But he did not need to know all the details. As far as he knew Nathaniel only knew he had severe panic attacks. Amanda didn’t even know about panic attacks. She probably thought of him as a very shy kid. That part was true. But it went so much deeper. He was broken. He was messed up. He was not normal. They didn’t need to know about what was going through his mind. 

“I-I’m fine,” he said with a small smile. It was less comforting, but Nathaniel shrugged before looking ahead of him. Leslie sighed. He suddenly got a text from an unknown number. He looked down at his phone. A small smile came upon his face. It was from Ruben. He liked him. For some reason he found him scary on the phone. However, talking with him made him feel oddly calm. 

Before he realized it, Leslie was back at home. He thanked Amanda for the ride before coming up to his apartment. The teenager made his way up to the apartment. He stopped before unlocking the door hearing laughter on the other side. Leslie unlocked the door to see Sebastian having his arms wrapped around Joseph kissing his neck. Joseph was smiling and laughing while trying to get the man off of him. Leslie shut the door causing the two men to look over to him. 

“Leslie,” Joseph smiled getting out of the arms of the older man. “How was the project?” 

“G-good,” he answered with a smile. It was nice to see his father relaxing with someone. “Fun.” 

“Glad you had fun,” Joseph said. “We were about to make dinner.” 

“Spaghetti,” Sebastian said. He knew exactly what Leslie was thinking. “Want to help me out?” 

Leslie nodded his head. Sebastian stood up and began making his way to the kitchen. The two went inside the kitchen. Sebastian began slicing some tomatoes showing Leslie how to do it. They were making some of the famous Castellanos sauce. It was something that he looked up when he found out that Joseph had a soft spot for Italian food. Leslie finished the slicing the tomatoes. Sebastian began cooking them while the kid began adding the spices and tomato paste. 

After an hour of the sauce simmering, they began to cook the noodles. Joseph smiled seeing the two working together. It was cute. Sebastian was teaching him with such patience and seemed to be having fun. He wondered if Leslie had moments like this when he was younger. Leslie did not have many parental figures he could trust. Joseph was the main one. It was with this knowledge that Joseph just wanted the best for him. He knew that as long as the two detectives were near that he would be protected. Protecting Leslie was his number one priority. 

Dinner was soon completed. The three of them sat down. Leslie began telling them about the school paper that Nathaniel dragged him to join. He doesn’t really like it, but he will stay with his friends since he enjoyed their company. He did not want to mention his visit to Beacon Mental. It was something he rather forget. Joseph and Sebastian did not pressure him to give them more details. All that mattered is that he had friends and was getting along with people. 

When the weird little family was done with dinner they settled down to watch a movie. Leslie was reading his book. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He picked it up to see it was from Ruben. He stared at it for a minute. He thought about replying. Leslie thought that this would be a bad idea. It might be a bad idea. Hell. It is a bad idea. However there seemed to be a connection that they had together. It almost felt like he was drawn to the man. The feelings Leslie felt were strange. He had never felt this interested in someone before. He never felt so gravitated towards a person in his life. It might be a mistake to text this person back, yet he wanted to know more about Ruben. 

This is a bad idea. Then, why did he text back telling him hi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leslie needs better friends. But hey, Ruvik and Leslie met! Yay! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Also want to let you all know that I will be taking a little hiatus just until February. Don't worry. It won't be that long of a break. And when I get back I'll give you what you really want. If you have any ideas for The Students of Ruvik and any one shots for the series. Hope you like it! Don't worry it will be back soon! Love all your faces! Thanks for being amazing!


	23. A Fun Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph and Sebastian finally have sex! 
> 
> Not your thing, don't read.

Leslie was in his bedroom doing his homework, enjoying his Thursday night evening fairly well. Sebastian was in the other room with Joseph talking about a recent case they had just completed. It had passed two weeks since he first met Ruben. He enjoyed talking with him. Leslie did not tell him much about his life with Sebastian and Joseph because he knew that the man knew them. All they talked about was school and things that they liked and disliked. Leslie liked keeping his home life to himself though. It had been awhile since Sebastian started spending more night over here. 

It sort of became a habit to wake up to the smell of someone cooking for both men of the house. Sebastian treated them very carefully and gently, almost like he did not want to break the weird little family. It was nice. It all made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

The teenager was enjoying his night when he heard a text tone go off twice. Leslie quickly grabbed it expecting it to be Ruben. Of course the first one did belong to him. He responded informing him of the book he was reading before turning to the second one. It was from Nathaniel. He read the message before standing up. It asked if he wanted to have a movie marathon with him tomorrow night. Leslie liked the idea of it. He rarely did many social activities. 

Recently Nathaniel had joined the football team and since Leslie always hangs around him the teenage albino sort of became the team’s little mascot. Though it had been recent, he just sort of became like an honorary member. He was not exactly against the idea, but certainly did not like being called cute. He was not cute, even though he was so adorable. Still, they young teenager liked being surrounded by people that like him. The young teenager went to the living room where the two men were located. 

Joseph was snuggled against Sebastian’s chest reading a book while the older man slept. It had been a long couple of days for the two men. Seeing them relaxing made their home feel more domestic. Leslie shuffled closer to them. He held his phone close to his chest. 

“D-dad,” Leslie said shyly. Joseph turned around to look at his son. “C-can I a-ask you something?” 

“Of course,” he said placing his book aside. Joseph has always done this for Leslie. Whenever he talked to him the man always focused on him. 

“T-to-tomorrow i-is a movie night,” he said pulling up the text message. “N-Nath-Nathaniel invited me. C-can I go?” Joseph read over the message.

“I don’t see why not,” he said smiling at the kid. “Let me talk with his mother to get the details, but other than that you get my permission to go.” 

Leslie smiled happily. “T-thank you,” he said. He went to text Nathaniel back telling him that he could come. Of course after informing his friend he told Ruben about his future plans. 

Joseph smiled happily turning his attention back to his book. “Are you seriously setting up a play date with your kid and our boss’ kid?” Sebastian asked. He was surprised that he could even hear, much like speak consciously. 

“Pretty much,” Joseph deadpanned. “Leslie does not get to do many social events like this. It will be good for him.” 

“With him gone we can have sex,” Sebastian said. Joseph blushed a bright red looking down. 

“Do you ever think anything through before saying it out loud?” Joseph asked. 

Sebastian kissed the top of his head before lying on his pillow. “Nope,” he answered. “But then again I like to think it’s that ability that attracted you in the first place.” Joseph laughed. 

“You’re such a dork,” he said. 

Sebastian did not respond. He assumed that he fell asleep. It is getting late. He pats his leg while setting his book down. “Seb, we really need to go to bed,” he told him. All he got from him is a groan. “If you’re tired you might as well just sleep in bed.” 

“But I’m cozy,” he complained. 

“Come on,” he pulled him up. He led his boyfriend to the bedroom. Before they went inside Joseph saw Leslie reading over some schoolbooks. He smiled at him before throwing his boyfriend into the room. He walked into the living room to retrieve his book. On his return to the room where there was a sleeping detective he stopped at Leslie’s door. “Goodnight.” 

Leslie looked up with that sweet innocent smile he had. “G-goo-goodnight,” he said. Joseph went off to bed. He lay down beside Sebastian, looking him over. He still questioned why he is so attracted to someone like him. But it he did not care as long as he cared for Leslie and him. It was nice having someone on his side for a change. Joseph kissed his forehead. 

“Goodnight, Seb,” he closed his eyes drifting off to sleep. Joseph always thought he would remain alone in his bed with only the dream of having someone beside him. Now though is different. Now he has someone to call his own and returns the feelings he feels. It feels like a dream. It’s a damn good thing it is not one. 

 

The next day Joseph was driving Leslie to spend the night at Nathaniel Callahan’s house. He talked with Alison earlier that morning about tonight. She had informed him that her and her husband would be there to watch after the boys. Joseph was a little nervous, but knew this would be good for Leslie. He needed normal interactions with children his age. He had faith that his boss would keep his child in perfect health and inform him if anything were to happen. Everything would be okay. Besides, what is the worst that could happen? Ruvik could actually break into the house and kill everyone. 

Joseph stopped his thoughts there. There is no way that will happen. He snapped back to the real world when they pulled up to the house. The place she called how is nice. It had two different levels; the building was made from brick with a white roof and other white accents on windows and doors. The porch lights were on indicating that they were expecting company. Joseph suddenly felt very nervous dropping Leslie off her. Oh how he wished that he was back to being a child. At least then he could cry about his child leaving without it appearing weird. 

“Have fun,” Joseph said with a worried smile. “Is someone dropping you home tomorrow or do you need us to pick you up?” 

“Na-Nathaniel will drop me off,” Leslie said. He could sense the worry in the man. The teenager gave a look to assure him everything would be fine. “I-I’ll see y-you tomorrow.” 

Joseph felt nervous about letting Leslie spend the night. He had never been far away from Joseph before. Well, except for that time he had to stay with Valerio, but that was it. He watched Leslie approached the door. It opened to reveal Alison. She smiled at Leslie letting him in. She then waved at Joseph giving him thumbs up before closing the white door. Now that he is inside Joseph left to spend a relaxing evening with his boyfriend. 

 

Back in the apartment Sebastian was making a nice dinner. It was nothing complicated just a small order of Chinese food. Joseph knew that Sebastian had not eaten that much of the obsessed food item since they started dating. He decided to give him a nice treat for eating healthier. Besides tonight they were too lazy to cook a real meal. For this evening they enjoyed the food and laughing about random things they have seen on cases along with the dumbasses they encountered. 

After eating dinner the two settled down on the couch watching a show. Tomorrow they did not have any work. Thank their lucky stars. Joseph was leaning against Sebastian, enjoying the man’s warmth. Sebastian was holding Joseph’ hand. It still felt weird showing him the scarred hands. He never showed anyone these hideous things. The only person hat ever saw them was Leslie. All of this just made it feel weird. Sebastian almost adored the scars. Seeing him rub his fingers across his hand felt normal for once. 

They sat in silence while Sebastian played with his hands. He suddenly brought Joseph’s hand to his lips kissing it gently. A light blush came over his face. He looked at the man in sheer shock? “What is going through your mind?” He asked. He shrugged as he continued kissing his hand. After a minute he stopped. Joseph kind of missed the contact. The older man resumed watching TV like nothing happened. “Seb, seriously, what was that all about?” 

He shrugged. “I guess I’ve always wanted to do that,” he replied. This man was something else entirely. Joseph was about to say something when the older man spoke again. “Let’s have sex.” Joseph was now beet red. He could be so blunt. “Jojo, I meant it as a…” 

“Yes,” he said turning to face the man. “We’ve dated for roughly two months now.” He kissed him. “I’m ready.” Sebastian overpowered Joseph by pushing him down on his back. The two began a passionate kiss. Seb ran his tongue along the seam of his boyfriend’s lip which caused him to moan and allow his tongue to enter the other man’s mouth. Joseph moaned. His body began heating up with a need. He could not explain it, but he knew what he wanted. He needed Sebastian. The two men broke away from each other breathing deeply while looking in each other’s eyes. This is almost too good to be true. Joseph is here and now. 

“Fuck,” Sebastian mumbled looking over the beet red man beneath him. Joseph’s cock began to harden. He could feel it. Sebastian could not wait for this. “You are honestly the sexiest person I know.” He began to kiss him again. Joseph tangled his hands into his soft brown hair. The smaller man would be content simply kissing him this way, but both were extremely hard and the prospect of what will happen is so much better. He wanted this. He wanted to be filled with Sebastian to fill him. He wanted this man to make him feel something that he has never felt before. 

Sebastian moved from kissing his lips to the sensitive places on his neck. Joseph let out a little sigh moving his head to allow Sebastian more access. Well, if he is offering his neck he will be the one to exploit that little spot. “S-Seb,” he moaned. “Bedroom.” Clearly the man agreed because he picked up Joseph. As Sebastian walked to the bedroom Joseph peppered his neck with little kisses attempting to find any sensitive places. He licked from the base of his neck and up to his ear. Joseph began to nibble at it which gave him a satisfying reaction. The older man shuttered a little. This pleased Joseph very much because he is able to elicit nice sounds from him. 

Suddenly Joseph found himself on the bed with Sebastian closing the door behind him. Sebastian leaned down, kissing his boyfriend deeply. The taller man began rubbing against the other’s still clothes cock. Joseph moaned loudly at the action. A calloused hand ran up his shirt. Those big hands then pinched his nipples. Joseph let out a small cry in pleasure and surprise. The man continued to pull his shirt off. The white shirt soon found its way onto the floor. Now that it was on the floor, never to be seen again, did Sebastian began blushing. 

Joseph was lying on the bed, completely shirtless, with a beautiful blush on his body. Sebastian could not believe how beautiful Joseph could be. This man had the most beautiful slim body with skin that complemented him perfectly. He quickly recaptured his lips with both tongues beginning to twist together fighting for dominance. Sebastian’s hands roamed all over his body. Joseph felt like his body was on fire. The combination of Sebastian’s hands and their erections rubbing together was driving the smaller male crazy. “Shirt, Sebastian,” he mumbled when they broke away for a quick breath. The man complied by quickly removing the article of clothing. 

Joseph looked at the body in front of him. His muscles were hardened from years of working with the police. The Japanese-Canadian sat up to run his hands along the muscles of the body. He then began to lick up his partner’s neck. Sebastian moaned as he felt Jojo work his hands around his body and rubbing against their cocks together trying to gain some more friction between them. The two men groaned. Seb is clearly having enough of this. 

He pushed him down before giving him a lip bruising kiss before slowly going down his jaw line and then further down his body. He stopped at those perky nipples giving one a pinch and licked the other one. Joseph gasped at the abuse they were receiving. The young detective had never felt this good in a long time, nor did he know how sensitive certain parts of his body were. Sebastian then switched them up. Joseph’s hips bucked a little. He wanted more. He honestly wanted more. Once Sebastian felt like he was done he began to move down the slender body that belongs to Joseph Oda. He stopped briefly to kiss around Joseph’s stomach. The man merely moaned at the actions of his partner. 

Sebastian grabbed the top of the hem of Joseph’s pants. In one quick movement the pants were gone and Joseph is only in his underwear. Now he could see more of the ivory skin that had haunted his thoughts for the longest time. The red blush that came down his cheeks to his chest is the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Sebastian leaned down and mouthed the erection inside the underwear. Joseph gasped. The smaller man could hardly take this anymore. He needed more. 

Joseph decided to take charge now. He someone flipped the other to where he was on his back and Jojo is straddling over him. The smaller of the two began to kiss around Seb’s neck. The groans he received from him made him feel more encouraged to continue his daring streak. He rutted against Sebastian. Joseph’s hands moved down to the pants. Somehow when he removed the obscene clothing he got rid of the pants and boxers. Joseph looked at the man with a bright red flush to match his lust filled eyes. Looking at the cock he began to wonder how in the world that thing is going to fit inside of him. It made him a little nervous and worried. 

Sebastian leaned up to kiss him. He flipped Joseph on his back to remove the smaller man’s underwear. Joseph felt the cold air on his erection. The air felt nice on his super heated body. “There,” he said. “That is so much better.” He captured Joseph’s lips again. They continued to kiss until they needed air. Joseph bucked his hips a little to gain some sort of friction between them. He needed to get off soon. His cock began aching painfully. Sebastian moved down his body coming to the cock. He licked along the shaft to the tip of his member. The he mewled over the attention he received from the older detective. 

Very pleased with the reaction he got the older man began to swallow his member all the way into his mouth. Joseph bucked his hips at the warm feeling of Seb’s mouth. He gagged a little, but seemed to enjoy it. This felt amazing. The feeling of Sebastian’s tongue running along the head of his penis made him feel undone. For once in his life he felt like everything stressful is falling away. “Seb…” Joseph moaned. Despite all the pleasure he felt from him there is something else that was promised to him. 

His boyfriend took the hint. He licked up his shaft, making sure to get every drop of pre-cum, before getting making a loud pop. Joseph looked at him. His glasses were askew and normally neat hair a mess. Sebastian seemed to enjoy the view, but had a perplexed look on his face. “What’s wrong?” Joseph asked. 

“I realized we don’t have any lube,” he said plainly. Joseph sighed, looking at the ceiling before covering his face. Sebastian became very confused. 

The smaller man pointed towards his bedside table. “In there,” he said. Sebastian could see how embarrassed he is. Opening up the bedside table he found that they needed is located in this little drawer. He looked at him with a playful smirk on his face. 

“Joseph you slut,” Sebastian laughed.

Joseph kept his face covered refusing to look him in the eyes. “Shut up and fuck me,” Joseph demanded. 

“You are a slut,” Sebastian joked coming back over to his partner. He kissed him gently while stroking Joseph’s cock to make him moan. Sebastian took out some lube, putting a little on his fingers. He allowed it to warm up a little before he went to Joseph’s entrance. He looked at him with concern, just to make sure it was okay. Joseph nodded his head. Seb moved to his entrance. The smaller man gasped a little as the first finger slowly entered inside. He stroked Joseph’s cock to distract him from the intrusion. He pushed the first finger in and out. After a little bit of just the single finger he slowly worked the second inside. 

Joseph could feel the stretch of the second finger inside of him. The older man used a scissoring motion to get the muscle loose. Sebastian watched Joseph intensely to see if there are any signs of discomfort. When he saw none and that he was actually enjoying this he added a third finger. “Dear God!” Joseph yelled as those three digits went over the little bundle of nerves that drove him crazy. Seb felt very pleased with himself. He is able to see a side the normally so put together and organized. Just seeing him so undone is mesmerizing. Seeing how flustered and messed up he looked gave him so much pleasure. Just knowing this is all his doing made him extremely happy. 

He continued to stretch Joseph for a few minutes because he did not want him to be in any pain when he finally filled him with his cock. “Are you ready, Jojo?” he asked. Joseph nodded his head. Sebastian removed his finger. The other male whimpered a little at the loss. Sebastian then coated his cock with lube. He took a second to look over Joseph. He never thought he could have something like this again. This man is one of the most beautiful people he has ever met. The red on his face and chest complimented him perfectly. There is nothing in this world more stunning than Joseph Oda. 

Sebastian kissed him as he aligned himself with Joseph’s entrance. He slowly began to push inside of him. Joseph wrapped his arms around the larger man’s neck. “Relax,” he told his partner. Jojo took deep breaths, attempting to loosen up. The stretch he received is a combination of pain and pleasure. Mostly pleasure. Joseph could not exactly describe this feeling in words. It all felt strange, but also very good to have something fill him. After a moment he adjusted to the new sensation he began to move a little. Just short and shallow movements to adjust to all of the new sensations he felt. It would not be good to hurt Joseph. 

The movements began to pick up speed. His trusts began to go a little deeper hitting his prostate with each thrust. Joseph tried meeting up his hips. The sound of skin slapping filled the room. Sweet noises of Joseph moaning, gasping, and calling the name of his lover were heavenly. Sebastian could not get enough of these noises. Nails dug into his back creating red marks. Sebastian used one of his free hands to pump Joseph’s aching erection. He kept pace with his own deep thrusts. 

He kissed the male deeply. All of this felt amazing. Joseph tight around his cock. The muscles around his penis began pulsing. He knew Joseph is beginning to get on edge. Sebastian felt it too with the pressure beginning to pool into his gut. He knew it was close. He increased in speed, hitting that sweet spot each time. Sebastian groaned in such pleasure. A few more sharp thrusts to that area made Joseph cum all over himself and on Sebastian. He screamed pulling Seb closer to him. The older man groaned. That is the sexiest noise he has heard in a long time. 

He kept up the brutal pace to chase after his own orgasm. Sebastian focused on the man under him. Joseph is stunning. He is just everything in this world. The muscles clenched around him made him cum inside of Joseph. He did not intend on doing that. Joseph moaned with this feeling. He liked it for some reason. Sebastian looked down at the exhausted Joseph breathing heavily. There are streaks of white cum on all Joseph’s stomach. The man looked stunning. Sebastian pulled out of Joseph quickly causing the man under him to gasp. Seb moved down his body to his over sensitive hole. He licked around the entrance. Joseph wriggled at the having the man lick all the cum out of him. 

When the older man felt like he cleaned enough he stood up and walked out of the room. Sebastian soon returned holding a washcloth in his hand. He began to clean both of them up a little bit. Joseph was trying to catch his breath. His body felt tired, but good. He knew that the next day he would be sore. That is future Joseph’s problem. Right now he enjoyed the after sex feeling. Right now he is enjoying being taken care of by the older man. Sebastian tossed the washcloth over to the side of the bed before curling beside the Canadian. The two men looked at each other. Joseph kissed him gently. 

“I guess the rumors are true,” he said sleepily. Sebastian laughed. This is so cute. “But then again, I don’t have much to compare to.” 

“Well, trust me. I’m that good,” Sebastian assured him kissing along his neck. “But I really can’t wait for round two. 

Joseph let out a small, tired laugh. He placed his glasses off to the side. “Sleep first,” he said closing his eyes. Sebastian smiled. 

Both men were now content being in each other’s arms. Joseph was the first to fall asleep, but it took a little long for Sebastian. The older man looked at the scars on his hand and felt around the newest ones on his back. He traced along them. He could never forget how scared he was about losing his partner. He could not forget the fear that Leslie had in his eyes about losing his only family he had left in this world. These two scars represented different points in his life. The burn marks were from bringing Leslie into his life. The cuts on his back were from bring Sebastian into his life. 

Sebastian promised himself that he would protect Joseph and Leslie. He did not want them to go through anymore pain. Well, something like that is impossible. He can try his best because that is all he can do. He just has to keep trying. Sebastian can’t lose any more people. He can’t lose another family. He brought Joseph closer, kissing his head gently, before closing his eyes. The night felt peaceful having Joseph beside him. He truly wished this moment would last forever, this feeling of pure happiness. However, happy moments like this never lasted long. He remembers that from experience. He remembers it all too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO PEOPLE! I HAVE RETURNED!!!! So sorry I did not come back sooner. Real life got in the way, but now I have it back under control! Prepare for regular updates again! Thank you all for being patient! You guys are awesome! Love all yo faces! Also, as an apology I give you smut! Let me know what you think. Not very good at it. See you all next Sunday! Love yo faces!


	24. A Day of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An honest day of our boys relaxing and bonding.

Sebastian woke up before Joseph did. He looked at the time then groaned. Seven forty-five it read. He looked down at the sleeping boyfriend to make sure it his sound of announce did not wake him up. Luckily it did not. Sebastian looked at him and began rubbing his back a little. The action elicited a little moan from the cutest Canadian the world has ever seen. Seb could not hide the little smile got from the cute little noises. He kissed Joseph’s head before getting out of bed. Sebastian grabbed a pair of sweats before leaving the room to make some coffee. 

Now that he had some coffee in hand the man decided to read some case files that he had brought here with him. He thought it would be good to get some work down while his boyfriend recovered from last night’s activities. Sebastian just decided to enjoy his Saturday morning. It is peaceful with the silent noises filling the area. Joseph is still sleeping peaceful. Good for him. He deserved a decent sleep every now and then. 

Sebastian worked for a few hours before hearing the door unlock. He took note that it is right about ten o’clock. The white haired boy came into the apartment looking very tired. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. He was not expecting him home so early. Well, probably because unlike him and Joseph the Chief did not have time to rest. 

“You look tired,” Sebastian commented. His voice startled the young teenager. 

“Y-you look t-ti-tired too,” Leslie said then promptly yawning. Sebastian smiled a little. “W-what ha-happened to you sh-shoulders?” 

Sebastian remembered that h is not wearing a shirt. At all and that the little scratches Joseph left on them were still there. He looked up at the kid with a blank face. “Nothing,” he answered, though it sounded like a lie. Leslie seemed to ignore it as he walked over to the couch to sit down. He leaned against Sebastian. It used to be where he would only lean against his father, but now he had gotten used to the other man. “I take it you stayed up late last night too? What movie did you watch?” 

He nodded his head. “A-Avengers,” he answered. Sebastian nodded. “W-where is Dad?”

“He’s still asleep,” he answered. “Try not to bug him. You should probably get some rest too.” Leslie reached for a blanket and pillow on the couch. He then leaned against the older man. This young teenager is so much like a very young child. Lily used to do this, but she was a baby and not some boy with mental issues. Joseph did good by this kid. Sebastian felt happy just spending time with a kid like this. It’s times like this that he missed Myra and Lily. He became curious if she and Leslie would be friends. Deep down he knew Joseph would end up in Krimson City sooner or later. He did not want to think about how he and Joseph would change if Myra was still around. That thought would have to wait for another time. 

“Seb,” they heard someone call out. “Where the fuck are you?”

“Stay here,” Sebastian told Leslie getting off of his spot. Leslie seemed displeased by him moving. The older man went to the room. Joseph was on the floor trying to stand up. Seb laughed a little seeing his boyfriend this way. “What are you trying to do?” 

“I’m sore,” he complained. He knew this would happen, but honestly last night was way too much fun. “Seriously, I had no idea someone could be so sore.” 

“But you had fun?” Sebastian smirked. 

“Yes,” Joseph smiled a little with a slight blush on his cheeks. “I just need a bath and to relax. Can you get one started for me?” 

“Anything for you,” he gave him a kiss on his head. “Also, Leslie is home. I’ll help you get some pants on so he doesn’t see your bare ass.” 

Joseph sighed. “Pants would be nice,” he agreed. Joseph offered his hand. Sebastian helped Joseph into some sweat pants. He placed Joseph on the bed while he went to turn on the water. He went to Sebastian went to check on Leslie. The little albino child had fallen back asleep on couch. He looked so peaceful. Sebastian went back to Joseph. “Bath time, Jojo,” he smirked. 

Sebastian helped him to the bathroom. Joseph’s hair hung al in his face. It is the most disheveled he had ever seen the man. Well, other than last night. When they got into the bathroom Joseph took off the pants and went into the bathroom. The smaller male relaxed into the warm water. It felt so good and relaxing. Sebastian laughed when a moan came from his boyfriend. He ran a hand through Joseph’s hair while he sat in the tub. He leaned into the touch. “Here I thought I could only make you moan like that.” 

“Shut up,” he said giving him an irritated look. “Just feels good. How is Leslie? Did he have fun?” 

“He’s sleeping right now,” he smiled. Jojo is still the forever concerned father. “It sounds like he stayed up late and had fun. He’s tired though.” 

“That’s good to hear,” Joseph said. He seemed a little more relaxed knowing that his son had fun. 

“So, since you can’t do very much,” Joseph splashed him. “I thought we would have some bonding time.” 

“What do you have planed?” He asked leaning over the edge of the tub. 

“Snuggling mostly,” he replied. 

“That sounds nice,” Joseph said closing his eyes. Sebastian and he talked while he relaxed in the water. After a few minutes when the water began to get cold Joseph got out of the tub. He was not as sore, but still limping a little. Joseph went to check on Leslie. He slept peacefully on the couch. It sort of reminded him of the times the little child would have nightmares sleep on the couch. 

However, he is older now, but is still a child in his eyes. Joseph moved his hair out of his face. He smiled looking at his son. Sebastian watched him pull a blanket more to cover him. It is a touching scene. He began to limp out of the room to snuggle with Sebastian because that idea sounded great. “Ruvik…” Joseph froze. He looked at Leslie. He wanted to know how he knew that name. That name is not something one commonly knows about. He had never heard that name until he met Sebastian. His gaze then turned to Sebastian. 

“Seb, how?” He asked glaring at the man. Sebastian slowly began to back away towards the bedroom. Joseph followed him back there. “Seb, how does Leslie know that name? 

“I’m not exactly sure,” he began to explain. Joseph looked mad. “He had mentioned his name during the case with your sister, but I told him not to worry about it. Then you got kidnapped…” 

“What about my kidnapping?” Joseph asked. 

“We were desperate,” Sebastian said. “We needed him. He was on the phone with us the entire time and Leslie might have been listening to him. I didn’t tell you this yet because everything was just a mess. I was going to tell you, but…” 

“When were you going to tell me?” Joseph asked. 

“Soon,” he answered. 

“Anything else I don’t know about?” 

“He might have tried to talk to Leslie,” Sebastian said. Joseph slapped him. He deserved that. “Okay, I’ll give you that one. But Joseph, he did not talk back. Ruvik also will never see Leslie. You know I won’t let that happen.” 

“It’s not just that, Seb,” he said sitting down on his bed. “Things get stuck in his head. If Ruvik’s voice gives me chills imagine what is going through Leslie’s head when he heard that man. I don’t want Leslie have to worry about some monster haunting him.”

The older man wrapped an arm around him. He looked down at Joseph with a frown on his face. He felt terrible about lying to him. “I’m sorry for not telling you,” the older man rubbed his back. “I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want you to worry.” 

“I know,” he sighed. “Can I beat Ruvik up?” 

Sebastian kissed his head. “After me of course,” he smirked against his hair. 

“I think I deserve it a little more,” Joseph wrapped his arms around his waist. Sebastian gradually moved to the bed to be closer to Joseph. The two men stayed close to each other, listening to the other’s heart beat. This is nice. This is what they enjoy doing with the other. Everything felt normal. 

 

Leslie woke up an hour later. He checked his phone. He saw a message from Ruben. The man asked him how he is doing and if he enjoyed the little get-together with his pals. It made him a little happy seeing the man’s messages. The tiny albino replied telling him that it was fun and that he is at home with his father. Once he finished replying he went to check on Joseph and Sebastian. He walked to the room. He saw the two men on the bed with Sebastian giving him a massage. 

“D-dad,” he said quietly. 

“Hey,” Joseph swatted Sebastian’s hands away from him to sit up right. He tapped the “How was last night?” 

“F-fun,” he responded with a smile. The small teenager sat on the bed with the two men. 

“Want to lay on the couch?” Joseph asked. Leslie nodded his head before standing up and walking out of the room. “It’ll be easier for us to relax.” Joseph threw on a shirt. The three sat on the couch. Joseph started talking about starting a movie on Netflix. The two were looking through the movie selection. 

Sebastian thought it reminded him of the time he would spend with Myra and Lily. But this is different. It felt like he would no longer have moments like this one. He feared that they would be lost. He could not handle loosing another family. Losing his wife and child almost became too much. He refused to allow this little family to be hurt again. He wanted to always see a bright smile on Joseph and Leslie. The detective wished that he had realized it sooner, but he found that he could not live without these two in his life. He cares for them deeply. Fuck, he loves them. He is not afraid to admit that he loved these two more than his own life. It is this reason that he hated that someone would want to harm them. He hated that someone would want to destroy their happiness. 

They decided to watch a little movie that is funny. Sebastian sat on the other end of the couch, reaching over to grab Joseph’s hand. The other man smiled at him. For the rest of the afternoon they watch movies and played games. It felt very domestic of them. 

It is later in the evening that they began to discuss dinner. All three of them had wanted something different. What is the only way to determine what they will eat? An intense chess match with several rounds. The winner chose what they would have for dinner. Clearly Sebastian lost easily to both Leslie and Joseph, despite his chess playing against Ruvik. Now it came down to father versus son match. It was double elimination. Leslie had lost the first round with Joseph, but he had beaten him the next round. Finally the winner would be chosen. Finally they would have dinner! 

Joseph moved his rook and took one pawn. He smirked at his son. Leslie was going through the various ways he could outsmart the man that taught him how to play. Sebastian had never seen him more focused. Leslie shakily picked up his pawn and placed it beside a knight. He looked at Joseph, who had a look of a little disbelief. It was his turn now. He could easily take out the pawn, but that would leave his queen unprotected. This kid had him exactly where he wanted. However, he knew how to defeat him. 

Joseph placed his last knight in the right place, which caused the chain reaction to his victory. Leslie looked a little sad. The man ruffled his hair a little before getting up. “Alright, Mushi Sushi,” he said with a little smile. “They don’t just have sushi there, Seb. You can get something cooked.” 

“Like I believe you,” Sebastian said. 

“Trust me.” 

The three piled into the car. Once they were at the place Joseph asked for a table for three. The waitress showed them to their table. Joseph began talking to Sebastian about what they had to eat. Leslie is used to all this kind of food by now. Leslie and Joseph had decided on some sushi while Sebastian settled on eating some beef udon. After the waitress took their order she went to give it to the chef. Their food arrived not long afterwards. Sebastian was very pleasantly surprised by how delicious udon was. 

Joseph mocked him for doubting his taste in food. They all talked about random things such as school. Leslie discussed the football team since he will begin hanging around them a lot. Someone one of the football players said that he is their good luck charm, though there is no way to determine that. Joseph found it to be a little humorous. Sebastian gave some “words of encouragement” when dealing with football players. That is how Joseph discovered that his boyfriend was briefly part of the Krimson High School Marching Band: Krimson Waves. He played the trombone.

Somehow there was a flouriest that got picked on by a football player. Sebastian seemed to find it fitting to beat the crap out of him. That resulted in him being suspended for at least a week, kicked off of the band, and rather feared among the student population. The band members saw him as a marching band hero. That is certainly something new that Joseph never knew about his boyfriend. Joseph then decided that he had to listen to these mad trombone skills that the other man bragged about. 

When the food was all gone they ordered some ice cream. Joseph insisted that they try the red bean ice cream. Sebastian was a bit resistant until he saw that even Leslie enjoyed this pink desert. Seriously, the Japanese culture is so weird. They considered rice and red bean paste a desert. But, if the detective was going to be seeing someone that is second generation Japanese-Canadian he would have to get a little used to it. 

He looked at the pinkish desert. He took a bit. The taste was actually not bad. “I knew you would like it,” he said with a smirk. 

“Shut it, Oda,” Sebastian playfully said. The other man went back to eating his ice cream. 

The rest of the evening was spent doing a little shopping such as looking the stores and maybe buying some other clothes. Joseph loved seeing Sebastian and Leslie getting along. At first he was worried that them meeting would be awkward, which it was, but now it seemed to be completely normal for them to be together. It made the detective feel at ease. The trio then returned home. They talked about watching a movie. 

In the end the movie that was chosen is Mad Max: Furry Road. Sebastian loved the Mad Max movies. He said that his favorites were Thunder Dome and Furry Road. Joseph laughed. He had so many weird tastes in things. They all sat on the couch watch the movie, enjoy each other’s company. During the movie Leslie showed the two men a little video titled “When Mom’s not Home”. This short little video showed a son and his father in a kitchen, not really sure why. The father began playing the first part of the song on the trombone and the son began banging the over door open and close. Sebastian and Joseph burst out laughing. Joseph made some comment how this is might be Sebastian one day. 

“I can totally picture this,” Joseph said. He was losing it. The laughing was in kind of in an awkward place in the movie since a woman just died along with a baby, but it was a funny video.   
Leslie liked hearing the two men laugh. It felt lively. He missed a house that was lively. After the death of his family he wanted a home filled with people laughing again. It was a bit hard to do that considering he was scared to say much of anything. He watched as Joseph took off his glasses to wipe the tears out of his eyes. He complimented his choice in videos and that it was very funny. Leslie felt a little proud of himself. 

The rest of the night was spent on the couch. By the end of the movie Leslie had fallen asleep leaning against Sebastian. Joseph thought it was because he is much warmer. The older man picked up the kid, again still amazed by his weight. Joseph made sure the child was fed, but seriously, he was like a bag of bones. The Canadian followed after him. After tucking in the little albino the two went into their room. Joseph watched Sebastian take off his shirt. Joseph leaned against the slightly taller man wrapping his arms around him. Seb looked at him with a bit of a curious look. 

“Thank you,” he said. His hands traveled down his body. 

“For what?” Sebastian asked. He wrapped his arms around Joseph. 

“Just for being a good person,” he said nuzzling his head deeper in the body. Even if we didn’t end up dating, I know you would still be doing this with me. You would help take care of Leslie and spend dorky evenings like this, just not with the prospect of seeing the other naked.” 

“One: I always want to see you naked,” he began showing one finger. “Two: I enjoy doing this, Jojo. Because I know that if it was the other way around you would be doing the same thing. Now, let’s go to bed because I am exhausted.” 

“Fine, old man,” he smirked getting his shirt off. He quickly changed into a pair of pajama pants. The two snuggled into bed to sleep peacefully. Sebastian rubbed Joseph’s back gently to help him fall asleep. Joseph sight happily leaning against the touch. He could stay like this forever. He loved Sebastian treating him with such care with those fucking amazing hands. He can get used to a life like this. “I love you, Seb.” 

“I love you too, Jojo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, hope you guys like this chapter! Let me know what you think! Next week will actually center around Leslie and Ruvik. I can't tell you anymore than that, but be prepared! Also, I am working on a short little fic called The Students of Ruvik. So, if you have any ideas for someone that might be a student of his then please tell me.   
> I will see you guys next week! You are amazing! Love all yo faces!


	25. The Agent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Leslie and Ruvik bonding. Joseph's old partner comes back being a bitch as always.

Leslie looked through the glass of the strange man. He seemed to be doing something on the computer, typing very quickly. Secretly he hoped that he would play the piano again. That instrument brought a lot of fond memories back from his childhood. Those memories mainly surrounded his mother teaching him how to play. Her soft and patient words of encouragement were something he always liked. He wished that Ruben would play at least one song. 

Instead he watched him do his seemingly important work. The teenager looked down at the sketch pad he had taken out. He liked drawing. He was always good at it. Most of the time he drew flowers or even sceneries. He thought Ruben could be a perfect subject for his hand at people. The man had a look about him he found intriguing for many different ways. Leslie began sketching the little of the inside of the cell. He drew while waiting for Ruben to be done. He suddenly felt like he was being watched. The typing on the computer had ceased. 

Looking up he saw Ruben had rolled the chair to be in front of the young child. “What are you drawing?” He asked. 

Leslie blushed looking down. “Y-you,” he answered. The albino quickly hid away the sketchpad. 

“Let me look at the picture,” Ruben said. Leslie is a little surprised by his interest in his art. He hesitantly showed him the little sketch. It was not all the way shaded yet, but the figure that appeared to be Ruben. “You’re really good. Did you do any art therapy? It would be good for you since it will give you something to do with your hands.” 

“W-when I was y-younger,” he told him. Ruben looked at him with more questions forming around his lips. “D-doctor V-Va-Valerio had me draw. I liked it.” 

“I take it that was the only good thing about having him as your therapist?” Ruben asked, though he knew everything about the man there ever was. The short time he had spent with the man was miserable. At least with Marcelo he had standards. Reading through Leslie’s files he knew exactly what the man put the child through. 

Leslie nodded. “M-my dad i-is good to me,” he said with a little happy smile. Yes, Joseph Oda, overall good guy and savior of the innocent. He is very familiar with his work, especially with Leslie. He knew everything there is to possibly know about the man he found it boring to even try searching for new information. It is Leslie that remains somewhat a mystery. Yes he could look up his medical files all day long, but that will only get him so far. It’s the person that he finds interesting. “D-do you h-ha-have family?” Ruben is a little surprised to hear the question come from him. 

“My family died a long time ago,” Ruben told him honestly. “My sister died when I was eleven and my parents died under mysterious circumstances.” Leslie seemed truly sad and upset that Ruben had no family alive. The sentiment is nice. It is almost welcomed. 

“No one else?” Leslie asked shyly. Ruben nodded his head. There is no one else alive to give him comfort. There is no one else alive to understand him. 

“Its fine,” he assured the smaller companion. “It all happened a long time ago.” 

“B-but it’s not fine,” Leslie said. Ruben seemed very surprised by this. “Y-you mi-miss them.” It made a little sense. Mentioning that his parents died under mysterious circumstances insinuates that they were murdered. However, he does not need to know that he murdered them. This little creature did not need to know about the monster that lurked inside him. His feelings are true. Leslie knew the feeling of everyone he loves vanishing into nothingness. 

“Leslie, why don’t you tell me a little about your family,” Ruben suggested attempting to change the topic. The teenager shook his head. “Why not?” 

“B-because… B-because they-they…” Leslie trailed off going into whatever world he goes into. It is common considering the tragedy he’s been through. He can only imagine what he experienced. Leslie suddenly shot up. “I-I h-ha-have to go h-home,” he stuttered. He picked up his stuff. Ruben noticed that his hands shook. 

“Leslie,” Ruben said calmly. He stood up. Leslie fell to his knees with tears coming down his face. “Leslie, you need to calm down. Take deep breathes.” 

He watched as the child began taking deep breathes. Ruben wondered how this child is able to function in normal, everyday life. Joseph Oda would knows how to deal with him when he has these weird attacks. Repressed memories were never a fun thing to remember. After a few minutes he began to calm down. Leslie avoided looking at Ruben as he began gathering his things again. It might be because he is ashamed of his little outbursts. One would be ashamed if they feared being ridiculed for having mental disorders. Ruben understood this far too well. 

“I-I’m sorry,” he said, still shaking like a leaf. “I-I ha-have to go.” 

“Leslie, if you need anyone to talk to I am here for you,” he told him. 

The albino smiled a little looking at the scarred man. “T-thank you,” Leslie said. He left through the secret entrance. He is thankful that Ruben knew Doctor Jimenez’s schedule so well. The man sat down on his chair. This little kid interested him. He cared about people. Leslie appear to be malice towards people. Even with people mocking him or putting him through a hard life he never seemed to stop being so kind. He is mostly surprised by his concern for others. 

“Do you have a soft spot, Ruvik?” A female voice asked coming down the hallway.

He grimaced looking at the woman. “I take it you’re the agent that will help me out of my little prison?” Ruvik asked, though he knew full well that is exactly why she is here. “Although, I am curious as to why they chose you.” 

“I get under a lot of people’s skin easily,” she informed him. “I also happen to be very familiar with Joseph Oda and Sebastian Castellanos. The latter I do research on. I must say, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard so much.” 

“An agent happy to see me? That is a treat,” Ruvik smiled. “What do you know of the Withers boy?” 

“Everything,” she stated. “Little Leslie has been on our radar since before he was born. He’s grandfather was actually a former Mobius agent.” 

“Here I thought agents couldn’t have families,” Ruvik smirked looking at the woman. 

“They can’t,” she told him. “But that did not stop the man from marrying a woman, having a daughter, and then she having two sets of interesting twins. If it weren’t for that case Leslie and his brother would have ended up in Mobius care sooner than later. We could have also gotten Leslie, but sadly that did not happen either.” 

“You can thank Joseph Oda for that,” Ruvik commented. “But you already know him fairly well. You should have known he would have felt bad for the child.”

The agent straightened herself up looking directly at the man to show she was not scared of him or the information that he knew about her. “We will be retrieving you in about two month’s time,” she informed him. 

“Why take so long?” Ruvik asked. 

“Details, Mr. Victoriano,” she told him. “We have to get rid of Jimenez along with gather any supplies you need to resume your work. We do want everything to your liking.” 

“I have the perfect test subjects in mind,” Ruvik told her. “You don’t need to worry about that. You also do not need to worry about Jimenez. I’ll take care of him.” 

The female agent smiled at him. He had to admit it is a lovely smile, one fitting an agent belonging to Mobius. “Mr. Victoriano, I do look forward to working with you,” she said. The woman walked up to the cell, then placing a card through the food slot. “If anything were to arise where you need our assistance then contact me. Now, if you’ll excuse me I do have some important dinner plans that I still need to make.” 

“Tell Oda I said hi,” Ruvik asked. The agent nodded her head. 

She left the area, paying the guard as she left. The agent took a deep breath. It has been so long since she took up this persona. Of all the people in her agency they had to choose her. They had to make her come up here. She took up the phone, dialing a number she had long forgotten. It rang a few times, then a few more. Finally the person answered. 

“Oda,” the voice she had not heard in such a long time. She felt nothing. 

“Little Jojo,” she said brightly. “How are things?” 

He froze a little, surprised by this phone call. “Tina?” 

 

“So your old partner is in town for a vacation and wants to visit?” Sebastian asked raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Isn’t she the one that said adopting Leslie was a bad decision?” 

“Yes,” Joseph said. He gave some papers to Kidman. 

“Who would say adopting a kid would ruin someone’s life?” Juli asked, very perplexed. “I mean, who would not love Leslie? The kid is so cute.”

“Thank you,” Joseph said. “I find it odder she knew where I lived. I don’t think I told anyone my new address, aside from family.” 

“Want me to threaten her?” Sebastian joked with a smirk. 

“Thanks, Seb, but I’m good.” Joseph grimaced thinking about the weird call from his former partner. He decided to call Leslie making sure he was safe at home. He left the personal office for a little call. Sebastian sighed. This is all sorts of weird and raised many warning signs. Juli sat in Joseph’s chair looking at him. 

“Is everything okay?” She asked. 

“No,” he told her honestly. “I worry about Jojo. He doesn’t need this stress. She’s actually eating dinner with us tonight.” 

“Want me to come?” Juli asked. “Better yet, I’ll bring Oscar dressed in drag. That would be a party.” 

Sebastian pat her shoulder, looking like a proud father. “Thank you, but I think I can handle it,” he told her. He looked at Joseph smiling as he talked to the kid. It seemed like Joseph was finally being happy and then his partner had to rear her ugly head. No matter what he would have Joseph’s back until the very end. “Besides, I think I got it. I’m very positive she will be surprised by meeting me.” 

“I was even surprised meeting you,” Kidman stated. “Still am.” 

Sebastian rolled his eyes. He watched him hang up and walk back inside the office. He informed the team that Leslie was just fine. They began resuming work on a new case that had fallen on their laps. Alison thought it was right for the three of them. A body had appeared with some weird markings on their body. It was typical needle marks, but the one that caught their eyes is the mark at the back of the neck that connected to the spine. It became a mystery since there are no drugs in the body. Joseph thought maybe it was some experiment, but there is nothing. 

Eventually he decided to call it a day. He kissed Sebastian on top of his head. “Are you ready to go?” He asked. 

“Yes,” the man stood up. He looked over to Kidman. “Can you handle it yourself?” 

“I’m about to be off,” Juli smiled. “I’m actually meeting with my girlfriend for dinner. Celebrating her promotion.” 

“Tell her congrats,” Joseph smiled. “Wish me luck on seeing my old partner.”

She waved to him. The two men left, stopping on the way for dinner. The choice was Chinese food because both men did not feel like cooking for this woman. Sebastian could easily tell Joseph was on edge. Leslie is home alone. He was nervous if she got there before them. Joseph tired telling himself she is normally late. There is no chance she will be there. When they quickly arrived to the apartment the Canadian rushed up. He was relieved to see Leslie was doing homework peacefully. 

Now all that remained is the awkward dinner between Joseph and the bitch. He sat up the table. Sebastian helped Leslie with his homework. Well, what little he understood. He never got to experience helping a child with homework before. It is a nice feeling. Just seeing him smile when he finally got something right or understood what he was doing. Sebastian loved this. Leslie is just like the child he always wanted to have. He would bet if Lily were still alive he would be doing this with her while Myra just watched over them fondly. Its memories like this that make him miss his family. 

However, he has Joseph and Leslie now and he would do anything to protect them. Suddenly the bell rang. It was her wanted permission up. Joseph pressed the button. It was not long until the door knocked. Sebastian walked over to answer it. He looked over the woman. She had long red hair that flowed down with a slight curl. Her eyes were sharp, always on the watch. Her red lipstick lips curled into a smile extending her hand. 

“Hello, I’m Tina,” she said. “I have no idea who you are. Did I get the wrong place?” 

“It’s the right one,” Sebastian said. “Joseph is setting up dinner. I’m his boyfriend, Sebastian Castellanos.” 

Her smile faltered a little, but it quickly came on her face. “A pleasure to meet you,” the redhead said. “It’s about time Oda got a boyfriend.” She came in. Her eyes locked on Leslie like it is the first thing she searched for. “Leslie, you have grown up. You look so handsome.” 

Leslie avoided eye contact. “H-hello,” he said. 

“Leslie, put away your homework and then we’ll have dinner,” Joseph said. The teenager nodded his head before leaving. Once he was gone Joseph glared at the woman. “How did you know where I lived? I had moved to another town before this one. The only people I knew were my family.” 

“The news Oda,” she stated with a roll of her eyes. “I thought I trained you better. I keep do like reading the newspaper. The Art Killer came up and mentioned your name.” 

“Then why are you here?” Joseph asked. 

“I quite,” Tina cheered. “I took up doing private detail for some corporation head. He’s in town, thus I am in town. Thought we should catch up. We did sort of leave on a bitter note.” 

“You refused to accept my decisions,” Joseph snapped back. “The rest of the time we were partners you tried everything to convince me to send him somewhere else. Now you’re here acting all friendly and shit.” 

Tina frowned looking down at her hands. “Right,” she said grimly. “I may have made a few mistakes. It was wrong of me. I want to apologize.” 

“You don’t need to apologize for anything,” Joseph said. “You should have accepted my decisions long ago.” 

“When did you become so cold?” Tina asked. “You were such a cute little rookie. So bright eyed and smart. Now you’re actually a detective. Good for you.” She looked over to Sebastian. “So, Mr. Tall and Muscular, what’s your story?” 

“I’m his partner,” Sebastian said through gritted teeth. This woman rubbed him the wrong way. 

“Both on the streets and in the sheets,” she said. “Very nice. Good job, Oda. So, is this interrogation over with? I do want something to eat.” 

“I think it’ best if you go,” Sebastian said. Leslie still had not come from his room. This woman made him nervous. She is bad news. The very idea that she was partnered with Joseph is a mystery. They worked well together which is also weird. 

Tina looked at Joseph. “You want me to go?” She asked. Of course she knew the answer. She just had to see him. She had to get into his head. It is all a part of the mission. 

“Yes,” he told her. “It was nice seeing you. I wish you the best of luck.” 

“You too, Joseph,” she extended her hand. He shook it a bit reluctantly. “Glad you finally became a detective.” Tina let go of his hand. “Leslie, take care and don’t cause your dad so much trouble.” She left out of the door. She left the building, once she was outside she got on the phone with her superior officer. “Guess who’s fucking your husband?” 

 

Joseph no appeared visibly relaxed looking at his boyfriend. “Despite our differences we did work well together,” he told him. 

“Better than you and I working together?” Sebastian asked wrapping his arms around him. 

“Of course not,” Joseph smiled. Leslie came out. Sebastian let him go so they could have dinner. At least there were will be leftovers. 

The night was very uneventful, thank god. All that happened is worrying if Sebastian would eat all the Chinese food and become. Luckily Joseph stopped him before it was too late. For the rest of the evening Joseph showed pictures to Sebastian for his graduation to detective then when he finally got Leslie. Sebastian loved seeing these pictures. His favorite one is when he got Leslie in his custody. Joseph was smiling brightly in his suit with the same frames he wore now, and then there is Leslie. He had his arms wrapped around him, blue eyes shining, and the biggest smile he had ever seen. He had a tooth missing on his top row of teeth. 

This picture is his favorite. Despite the bruising on his face and hands it is still such a happy and innocent image. It meant a life without living in such bad conditions and one full of happiness. Yeah. This is his favorite. 

Leslie went to bed, the two men followed not long after him. Joseph closed his eyes. Sebastian looked at him. “Hey, Jojo,” Sebastian whispered. The other man groaned. “Did she call you Jojo which is why you hate it?” 

“Yes,” he answered. “Can we go to bed?”

“Just one more thing,” Sebastian said. Joseph turned around to look at him. “The way she looked at Leslie. It made me feel uncomfortable. I don’t know. Just something about it just seemed off.”

Joseph frowned. “What do you think she could possibly want from Leslie?” 

“I don’t know,” he says bringing Joseph’s hand close to him. “But we will figure out, I promise.” 

Joseph kissed him. “We will,” he says assuredly. “But right now we need sleep.” 

“Goodnight, Jojo.” 

“Goodnight, Seb.” 

\-----------------

 

The agent looked directly in front of her. The lights blinded her from seeing any of the faces belonging to the organization. Flashes of her past came in mind. The first time she was forced like this when joining Mobius. All the distrust, trials, and finally a position where she has some power is now wasted and gone. All of it faded away when she stepped through that door. It all vanished when she met that man. Now, here she is again like some sort of rookie. 

“How to hell did you not know that Castellanos was fucking Oda?” The agent snapped tired of sitting in silence. “Because last time you informed me that he is still an alcoholic. Further most, they were partners. Now, tell me, why am I being treated like some rookie all over again?” Tina glared at all the members, even her own partner that had all the information they needed. She was greeted with more silence. “What is my fucking punishment?” 

“How is the Withers boy?” A man asked. “He’s information has not been updated since his time with Valerio Jimenez.” 

“He’s healthy,” she answered. “Still weary of me. But, he’s in good condition. Oda has taken excellent care of the kid.” 

Silence took over the room yet again. Tina began growing very impatient. These Mobius people loved to drag things on. “So, why am being punished?” Tina demanded. “Fucking tell me. I have done nothing wrong, but do my work.” 

“You aren’t being punished,” the female agent, her partner, assured her. “This is more for precaution since there are other factors involved. Now, how did your meeting with Ruvik go?” 

“Great,” Tina said in the most sarcastic tone ever. “We are making matching friendship bracelets. Oh, little side note, it appears he has a soft spot for the Withers boy. We should really keep that in mind.” 

“What evidence do you have?” A man asked who was seated at her left side. 

“Apparently he frequent visits there,” Tina stated. “I’ll monitor it more closely. We should start surveying Oda and Castellanos along with whoever they interact with. Since the detail of their sexual involvement with one other was left out I think some of our agents are slipping.” 

“Very well,” a man said. She could easily tell he is seated at the head of table. Despite years of dedicating her life to this organization the woman still is not allowed to see his face. “Just make sure you come up with the right plan to ensure everything is in its respected positions. I do not want any screw ups. Besides, it would be a very irritating to find someone to replace you.” 

“Yes, sir,” she said nodding her head. 

“Good,” he said. “Now, go. Prepare for Ruvik’s arrival. Also figure out what to do with Marcelo and that crazy student.” 

She nodded her head before turning around and leaving. Tina opened up the door to see the only remaining student of Ruvik’s. “Get lost,” she said in a hushed down. “I cannot be seen talking with you.” 

“I just want to see when my master will be released,” she said. 

“Soon,” Tina said. She walked past her. “Very soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! Mobius is on the move! Also, yeah. Joseph's partner is a Mobius agent. I'll be going into more details later, do not worry. Also more Leslie and Ruvik stuff to come. Just hard writing their bonding while he is in jail. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you the kudos and everything else! Thanks for being awesome! Love all yo faces! See you soon!


	26. Busted Lip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mobius continues to get closer to their goal. A series of random killings. Ruvik and Leslie grow closer. Also, blowjobs!

Leslie was in the nurse’s office being check over. He had a bruises littered his body. The tiny albino shook almost anytime someone got near him that was not a nurse. Joseph came running inside with a panicked expression on his face. His first instinct is to check on his son. The nurse explained to him what happened. 

Some older boys decided to pick on Leslie. Little Leslie decided to fight back which resulted in the bruises on his body. One of the other boys that picked on him had a busted lip from how hard he punched him. Joseph had taught him how fight a little so he would not be so defenseless next time someone tried harming hm. Joseph looked him over with his eyes scrunched together. He held onto him, still worried for his child’s safety. Leslie felt a little embarrassed being here because he could not defend himself properly. This is not like him either. He did not get hurt or sent to the nurse’s office. 

The other boy was glaring at Leslie for getting him in trouble. He would promptly be suspended. Leslie would be sent home the rest of the day. Being around other people would not be good for the poor kid. At the current moment all that mattered is that Leslie is safe. “Leslie won’t be punished for fighting back,” Elizabeth said. It was she that broke up the fight brining Leslie to the nurse. Joseph looked at the woman with a little bit of a smile. “He’s a good kid. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.” 

She went to the other boy beginning to tell him off. He did not seem happy about this at all. To a detective the kid did not seem so much as sorry for his actions, but angry that he got hit by a mentally ill albino. The other two boys were in the principal’s office while the other was getting his lip taken care of. Joseph soon took Leslie out of the school, walking him to the car. Sebastian was waiting for him in the driver’s side. When he caught sight of Leslie he grimaced a little at the bruises. This kid is like a banana. 

“Does the other guy look worst?” Sebastian asked hoping to try cheering him up. 

“B-busted lip,” he told him looking down. 

“That’s my boy,” he said giving him a thumb up. Joseph came in the passenger side. “Jojo, are you okay?” 

“This is all her fault,” Joseph said. “I really wish she never came into town. Seb, before I became her partner you want to know how many she went through?” 

“Five,” he answered. 

“They all died, Seb,” he whispered. “I wish when I was younger I saw her for what she was.” 

“Joseph, it’s not like she’s a cop anymore,” the older man said. “She works for some private company as a security detail. It’s like she has any power.” 

He saw the man relax, even if it was just a little. He looked at Leslie, concerned for his well being. They arrived home. Leslie had gone straight to his room. He wanted to be alone. He lay on his bed, just thinking about the actions of the day. His phone then vibrated. Ruben. Leslie didn’t want to talk to him. 

There was no one he wanted to talk to. After the fight he felt ashamed for some reason. Leslie did not hurt people or even got into fights. He is picked on, but something snapped inside him. That scared him. It scared him that he busted open someone’s lip. This is not him. This is not what Leslie is. Despite how encouraging Sebastian is being about all of this it still does not feel right. He’s never hurt anyone before nor has he wanted to hurt anyone. He looked down at his bandaged hand. Hitting someone hurts a lot more than how Sebastian and Joseph make it look. 

Joseph then walked into his room. “Hey, how are you feeling?” He asked sitting beside him. The bed dipped a little. Leslie rolled over to look at him. “You hit that kid pretty hard.” There was no answer. Joseph sighed. “Leslie, you need to tell me what’s wrong. We’re family.” 

“I-I didn’t mean too,” he whispered. 

“You were defending yourself,” Joseph said. “You know there is a difference between attacking someone and protecting yourself. You wouldn’t hurt someone on purpose, that isn’t like you.” Leslie stayed silent. Joseph sighed. “Do you think you’ll be fine alone? Sebastian and I need to get back to work.” 

“I-I’ll be fine,” he assured him. Joseph smiled ruffling his hair. The little albino turned around to look at him. “Be safe.” 

“I will,” he said getting up. He watched the man leave his room. Leslie waited in his room for them to leave. He needed to see Ruben. He did not know the reason why just that when he talked to him things made sense. For some reason when he was around Ruben it felt like he was normal. It felt like he not some abomination that some people view him as. 

He texted him hoping that he would be willing to give him company. After Leslie sent the message hoping that Jimenez was not around that way he could use his secret entrance. He waited patiently. While he waited he went to the kitchen gathering up something to eat. It felt weird being home on a school day. It felt very nice. Although he wouldn’t want to be home alone all the time, he did enjoy it at the current moment. When he came back to his room he saw a message from Ruben. It was clear to visit. He put his snacks in the backpack before sneaking down the fire escape exit in his room. 

Leslie quickly climbed down to the street. He began walking down the street to Beacon Mental. He noticed that there was a car trailing him. It was not a cop car that much he knew. Remembering what Joseph taught him, Leslie went down an alleyway to get away from the car. It seemed to work by the time he arrived to Beacon Mental. When he arrived Leslie walked past the receptionist that never seemed to notice him. Next was navigating through the hallways to find Jimenez’s office. It always scared Leslie to be in this area mainly because for some reason the fear of that man is always there. 

Nothing good comes from dealing with a Jimenez. Valerio was bad enough, but he knew all about Marcelo. That man often fought with his brother over something though he did not know what it was about. He was ten. He was still a kid. Leslie opened the door happy to see that the man was gone. After reaching for the hidden lever he backed away. The sound of the piano entered his ears. Ruben played the piano perfectly. 

He walked down carefully. When he arrived the man continued his music. Leslie sat down in his normal spot leaning against the glass. He listened to the music and how it would progressively get louder and louder. The way the notes flowed was something truly magical. Leslie wondered how he learned to play the piano and who taught him. He knew a little thanks to his mother, but even then that was years ago. His mother taught herself when she was young he remembered that much. It is because of her that he fell in love with the piano. Some of the happiest memories were surrounded by this wonderful instrument. 

Ruben then stopped turning around to face the teenager. He smiled a little upon seeing him. “What happened at school today?” He asked calmly. Leslie fiddled with his fingers. “Did you hurt someone?” Leslie nodded his head. “Those boys certainly like to pick on you, don’t they? Does your hand hurt?” 

“I-I b-busted his lip,” he whispered. 

“It was all in self defense,” the man in the cell quickly reasoned. His eyes then scrunched together. “You feel sorry about this.” Leslie nodded his head. Ruben is truly fascinated with this boy. Despite the tragedy he has faced in his life the child still seemed to worry about the people around him. That is much more to say than him. He wound just assume kill the people and have it over with. Leslie does not want anyone to be hurt, even by his own hands. It is truly interesting. 

A part of him almost wanted to touch him to give him some sort of comfort. Then there is the part that wants to pull him apart just to see how his mind works. It made him feel very conflicted on everything he has planned. This child deserves better in life. Ruben doesn’t care. He’s a valuable research tool. But the part of him that wanted to be actually treat the kid well. This provides all sorts of conflicting thoughts. In the end Ruben would go with his researcher mind. Or at least he hoped. 

Ruben sighed looking down at the little child. This is all very irritating when he cannot act like the caring person he wants to portray to Leslie. Instead he is inside this cell made of glass. That won’t last for long. Prisons never seem to keep him inside. “Do you know how to play the piano?” He asked trying to change the subject. 

“M-my mother ta-taught me,” Leslie told him. The memory of the piano playing always meant happiness for him. “Long, long ago.” 

“I could always teach you,” Ruben offered. “Recently someone told me I might be getting out soon.” Fuck. He did not want to reveal that little detail. But the way his eyes lit up at the mention of that made that little slip up worth it. He just seemed so happy to see that his only friend that understood him might be free. “But that is only a maybe.” 

Leslie’s excitement died down a little, but was still there. “I-I would li-like to learn again,” he said. “Wh-who taught you?” 

“My sister,” Ruben answered. Leslie nodded. “Would you like me to play you another piece?” 

“P-please,” he said. Leslie closed his eyes as the man walked over to the piano that fit perfectly into his room. The music filled the room again. Ruben even seemed to enjoy this, enjoyed having an audience. Neither of them knew that there is someone watching them from the guard tower. 

\----------------------------------------

Tina leaned back on her chair, watching the two interact. The guard looked over at her with a concerned look. “Is this necessary, agent Williams?” She asked. “It’s not like there is any harm in them bonding.” 

“This is why you’re his bodyguard and not an agent,” Tina said grabbing something to eat. “Mobius needs to control Ruvik. We cannot risk an event like last time. We almost did not know about it until it was too late. Now, if you notice that he seems to treat him much more with care than say he would his typical test subject. I don’t think he has any intentions of treating him like a common lab rat like we use.” 

“We’re monitoring their relationship status?” Catherine asked a little confused. 

“In so many words, yes,” she answered with a smile. Her smile faded. “You remember Laura Victoriano?” The guard nodded her head. “Then you should know Ruvik constantly searches for a companion, one he can relate to. Laura was such a company that understood him and truly wanted to be with him. He lost that. I believe Leslie is becoming our new Laura. That can either be a good or bad thing. 

Mobius wants to be sure that it will interfere with our research.” The agent stared at the two through the camera. It was all very tedious, but Tina would do this herself. Her life hung in the balance of knowing everything there is to know about this relationship. 

The agent reached over to turn on the sound. Music filled the little area. There were little words passed between the two as the music continued. However, once Leslie leaves the safety of Ruvik’s personal prison she will go track Joseph and Sebastian to see what sort of cases they are doing. 

She won’t lie; the curiosity of their cases was almost too much. She wondered how many cases were set up by Mobius. There were probably a few. It was not like Mobius is completely pure. There are cases that they set up to dispose of the body and fall people. It is exhausting setting up crime scenes. Also disposing of bodies. She grimaced. Though it can be annoying watching this, it does have its uses. For example, she learned the classical music is very nice and that Leslie became more open around him than anyone else. Who would have thought that he would find a mentally scarred genius with a violent history comforting? 

The agent watched them; though her thoughts traveled back to what her two favorite detectives were doing. To be honest, she hoped they were fucking in the office. That would be interesting. It would actually mean little Joseph is doing something interesting for once in his life. The little Canadian is such a tight ass, both literally and metaphorically, that it is hard to believe that he is seeing a coworker. Joseph is just something else entirely. It did leave her wondering as to what the two detectives are doing. 

\----------------------------

“He fucking punched me,” Kidman yelled. Blood was dripping down her upper lip. She was furious. Sebastian was keeping her back while Joseph escorted the person to the interrogation room. Once the person was inside Joseph walked out looking very tired. His eye was twitching a little. “I’m going to kick his ass.”

“He’s a witness,” Joseph clarified. “He saw someone dump the latest body.” 

Recently there have been a string of bodies appearing in abandoned buildings. Originally it was thought that they were drug addicts that overdosed considering the amount of needle marks on their arms. However, Joseph discovered there was one particular needle mark behind their hand that was right above the spine. To Detective Oda that seems like an odd place for a drug addict to place their needle. That would be too hard for a typical person to do, it was also that these needle marks were much bigger than what were scattered on arms. 

At the current moments there were at least four bodies with these exact markings. It became the trio’s murder case since it was Joseph that discovered there was a connection and not just random acts of druggies dying. It was not until the fifth body showed up that they discovered that there was a witness. However, it happened that this person is a total asshole with a long history of being in and out of jails along with drug addictions and several charges on him battering cops. Kidman just happens to be one of them he hurt. 

The only reason they were bringing him in is because of the security footage found at the place right across from where the body was found. 

“You can kick his ass once we get what we need,” Joseph said. He was truly grateful for Sebastian keeping her restrained. “But right now we need to know what he saw.” 

“He saw nothing,” she spat. More blood dripped down her chin. “I’m going to wash my face.” She walked away in pure anger. Joseph sighed looking over to Sebastian. 

“Was this you when you were just a rookie too?” He asked looking at him. “Because I’m thinking it is since you already sort of act like that.” 

“I still act like that,” Sebastian told him honestly. “I just have to keep my temper under control since I have you and Leslie to deal with now.” 

“Glad to know I’m special,” Joseph smiled. “So, are you ready to ask him questions?” 

Seb nodded his head walking into the room. Joseph followed not far behind him. “Miles “The Marshmallow” Fox,” Sebastian said looking at his file. “How did you get the nickname The Marshmallow?”

“I ate like sixty marshmallows in two minutes when I was in the sixth grade,” he answered. “Are you challenging me to a marshmallow off?” 

“I’m challenging you to tell me what you say the night when our victim was found,” Sebastian told him showing a picture of the newest body. It was a woman, in her mid-twenties with short brown hair. “So, tell me what you saw.” 

“Oh thank god that is what this is about,” he sighed. Joseph raised an eyebrow. “Never mind man.” Joseph let that slide since they were desperate for information. “That night I saw a black car. It looked new, very new. I might have been in a very drug induced state, but I saw two big carry the body where she was found. I did not want to get close to those guys.” He froze thinking it over. “I think… I think one of them spotted me. It might have not been a big guy, but there was a very petite woman wearing a hoodie over her head. She spoke to them about placement of the body and to be careful.” 

“Is there anything else you remember?” Joseph asked writing everything down. “Any weird details about the car or people.” 

Miles looked like he was thinking through his drug state from a few nights ago. This is why Joseph hated dealing with drug addicts. It was hard to tell what they saw or even if what they saw was a real lead. “There was a logo,” Mile said. “It was weird. Three stars with like an ice pick or something coming out of it.” Joseph stopped writing suddenly. He looked through his book to find a sketch of that symbol. He knew it from somewhere. He stopped at a page. An oh so familiar page that belonged to Mobius.

He tore the page out showing it to Miles. “Is this the symbol you saw?” Joseph asked. 

“Yes that’s the one,” he said with a smile. 

“Seb, outside,” he said walking out. The man followed him out. “It’s Mobius. They set the body there and my best bet is that they are responsible for the rest o the bodies too.” 

“Joseph, do you know how crazy that sounds?” Sebastian asked. Joseph looked a little angry at his boyfriend. “Not saying it is plausible, but why are they dumping the bodies?” 

“I don’t know,” he said. “But if you have a strong feeling about this then we should investigate this lead further. I’ll discuss with Alison about it. But we need to keep Miles here. He is our best witness.” 

“He’s got fucking lawyers,” they heard Kidman yelling as she came down the hallway. They did not even let him call anyone yet. This made no sense. “There’s one bitch with blonde hair in a tight ass bun telling me she is his lawyer. Did we even let him call anyone yet?” 

“No,” they answered together. Joseph went to the woman. Sure enough there she is in her gray suit. 

“Hello, I’m Detective Oda,” he said extending her hand. She shook it. “Um, how did you know we had your client with us?” 

“It’s my job to know,” she answered firmly. “My client has no cause for being here.” 

“He’s a witness,” Sebastian chimed in. “Detective Castellanos. I assure you that your client is not in any kind of danger. We just need for a case.” 

The woman glared at the two men before sighing. “Very well,” she said extending her card. “If anything does pop up do inform me right away.” 

Joseph looked over at his boyfriend with a very annoyed look on his face. “I think Mobius sent them here,” he whispered. Sebastian watched as she left the building. His theory became very possible. “Doesn’t it seem odd that she just appeared out when we got the guy?” 

“Yes, it’s weird,” he whispered turning to face the man. “We’ll have to look into it. But Joseph, don’t just do anything crazy?” 

“I’m the rational one in our relationship,” Jojo said. He adjusted his glasses before going back to his desk. 

Sebastian sighed. This is going to be a long day. The hardest thing will be linking Mobius to these murders. Despite what their witness says it will still not be enough evidence to convict this mysterious shadow organization. “Hey,” Sebastian said sitting beside Joseph. He thought of something that might actually be useful. “Did your old partner ever tell you what corporation said she worked for?” 

“I don’t think so,” he answered thinking back to the last conversation he had with her. “You don’t think she could be in line with Mobius, don’t you?” 

“Only one way to find out,” Detective Castellanos said pulling up his phone. “We should bring her in for questioning.” 

“Kidman will have to do that,” Joseph said. “I don’t want anything to do with her.” 

“Got it,” he smiled as he called her number. It rang a few times before it was answered with a less than cheerful hello. “It’s me, Detective Castellanos. I would like to bring you down into question at the precinct that is if you’re still in town.” 

“I’m sorry I actually just left Krimson City early this morning,” she told him. Sebastian wondered if that was a lie or not. Would not surprise him she was a smooth liar. However, there is no way to prove that she is a lying since he had no idea where that blasted woman was staying at. “But I would be happy to answer some questions over the phone for you, Sebastian.” 

“Who did you say you were working for?” He asked. The woman stayed silent for a beat. 

“Arber Inc.” she answered. “I work for the CEO as his personal security detail.” 

“Is there another company they are in cooperation with?” 

“No,” she told him. “If you think that they are a part of some weird shadow organization then you should know that they are not. Now, I have to go need to keep my eyes on the road. Tell Joseph hi for me.” She hung the phone. Sebastian threw it on the desk before looking at the Japanese-Canadian. 

“That woman is seriously such a bitch,” he said. Joseph laughed. 

The two went to work trying to dig up any information on Mobius that they could find. There was nothing. He only thing either of them could procure is that they fund Marcelo Jimenez and Beacon Mental. It might be a shitty lead, but it is the best one they could get. Kidman had called Beacon asking if the Marcelo was there. They informed her that he would be out for the rest of the day. Well, they would just have to try tomorrow. Joseph removed his glasses. They had to release their witness, but had a police cruiser patrolling his area. 

Kidman had to leave so she could be home with her girlfriend. Sebastian and Joseph decided to do some work at home. Joseph hated being away from Leslie. The man always felt like he should be near the kid. More so now than ever before since they might be dealing with a very dangerous and active shadow organization. 

It was awkward being in the car. Sebastian looked over to his boyfriend. “Hey, Jojo, relax a little,” he said. The other man did not say anything. “Do you think Ruvik will know anything about Mobius?”   
Joseph looked at him like he just had a brilliant idea. Of course he knew that Ruvik already knew everything there is to know about Mobius, but this time he might give him something useful for a change. “We should go there before heading home,” he leaned over giving the older man a kiss on the cheek. “You’re so smart sometimes.” 

Seb snorted. “Sometimes,” he said driving in that direction. 

\---------------------------------------

Leslie had fallen asleep beside the glass. Ruben read a book making sure that he was sleeping soundly. It was peaceful. Almost like being with Laura again, only this time he is the one reading the book while watching the other sleep. He liked his right here. Never would he think he could enjoy something as simple as this. Maybe someday he can enjoy more of these peaceful times with Leslie. 

The lights then began flashing. He had visitors. Something told him that it had to do with the two detectives. He will not allow them to walk in on him and Leslie’s personal visits. The child had to get away from here immediately. “Leslie,” he said. He was not waking up. Ruben sighed as he kicked the glass. It might be a little insensitive, but he had to get out of here. The albino jerked looking a little scared. “Leslie, you need to go now. I have visitors coming and if they discover you that means we won’t be able see each other.” 

The teenager looked sad before nodding his head and gathering up his stuff. “S-see you soon,” he said smiling a little shyly. Ruben returned the gesture as he walked away. After he was inside the hidden passage the two detectives came walking down to him. 

“If it isn’t my favorite detectives in all of Krimson city,” he said in a very sarcastic tone of voice. Joseph look absolutely done with the man. “How may I be of assistance today?” 

“Tell us everything you know about Mobius,” Sebastian demanded. 

“I did tell Joseph about them,” he said looking over to him. Sebastian even looked shocked. “Oh, I guess he never told you. Well, I don’t know what their planning if that is what you’re thinking.” Even though he knew. 

He knew that they are planning his escape. He knew that they are preparing for his arrival. The only thing he did not know is all what is going that is causing such a ruckus that it is causing these two detectives to come down to his prison and ask him what he knew. Tough luck. He is not revealing anything. That is, not until he is free. 

“What did you tell Joseph?” Sebastian asked. 

“He can tell you that himself,” Ruvik answered with a smirk. “I’m surprised he did not even tell you.” Ruvik paused for a moment. “Actually, I know almost anything other than what their end goal is. If you did not know I’m very much out of the loop since being in prison. I’m afraid most of my old contacts don’t talk to me anymore.” 

“You know exactly what their planning, don’t fucking lie,” Sebastian growled. Oh that is certainly an interesting reaction. “Tell me exactly what you know.” 

“What do you want me to tell you, Seb?” He asked very irritated. “Would you like to go on about how they have a plot to use my machines again? Mobius is planning something, that much is true, however, I. Know. Nothing.” 

“You don’t know anything?” Sebastian asked. 

“Not even who the agents are,” he answered. 

“Let’s go, Joseph,” he said walking away. That was a waste of time. That bastard mentioned his torture devices. Fuck that brought back memories.

Joseph glared up at the man. “You’re a bastard,” he said. “I don’t know what you did to Seb all those years ago, but I’m happy you’re behind this cell. At least here you can’t harm anyone.” 

“You should ask him some time,” he joked. The detective did seem like he was in the mood. “I’ll see you soon, Detective Oda.” 

Joseph turned away from him walking away. He saw Sebastian waiting for him by the car. Now he will be asking questions. Maybe he can give him a blow job to distract him. They went inside. He sighed looking over to him. “It was a long time ago,” he told Seb. “I was operating on my own curious hunches. He didn’t even give me anything useful.” 

“You went behind my back,” he said. 

“I didn’t want you involved,” Joseph said. “I was curious. Also if Marcelo is involved with this group then so was Valerio meaning they have ties to Leslie.” 

“You think they had something to do with Leslie being an orphan?” Sebastian asked. 

“No,” Joseph answered. “But I need to know if they touched him. If they hurt my son then I want them to be punished.” Sebastian took a glance over at the other man. “Wouldn’t you want to do the same if Lily was in that same situation?” 

He took a breath before releasing it. Yes. He would do the exact same if it were Lily. “I would,” he said. “I just worry about you getting in bad situations. If I lost you and Leslie I don’t know what I would do. Just promise that you won’t do anything crazy?” 

“There are no such promises,” he smirked. Sebastian clearly had no idea as to why he is involved with this Canadian, but he knew that this man meant the world to him. 

When they arrived home they saw Leslie cooking something in the microwave. He was heating up some leftovers from last night’s diner. He waved to them as the timer went off. He took it out asking. He asked them how their day was. The two told him about the case, leaving out all the weird stuff. All they really told him is that there was a witness. Joseph did not want to bring up the Mobius thing for fear that Leslie might have actually dealt with them. That just made him worry. Even after all these years he still did not know about what they did to him while he was in that place. 

Eventually they settled down for the day, Joseph and Sebastian worked on some case files while Leslie finished up some homework. For dinner they just ate leftovers since they had plenty. It was a peaceful night for the most part. There was truly nothing eventful happened. Leslie went to bed early while Sebastian and Joseph continued to work on their cases. 

When it was finally time for bed for the older two they got changed into their traditional night wear. Sebastian brought Joseph close to him closing his eyes. Joseph removed his glasses before snuggling closer into him. Seb began drifting off to sleep when he felt a hand on his crotch. He looked down at Jojo. The smaller male kept silent as he continued to rub it in little circles. Sebastian gasped a little when he felt the hand go over the head of his cock. He wondered what he was thinking. 

“Jojo, not that I’m complaining,” he groaned loosening his hold on him. Joseph slowly sank down to penis. “But… But what brought this on?” 

“I just suddenly felt very horny,” he answered moving the underwear down. He licked the head before swallowing it. Sebastian resisted the urge to buck his hips into him, though it was very tempting. He felt the cheeks hollow out as he took more of him in his mouth. Actually Joseph was deep throating him. Seb needed to make a mental note to ask him where this amazing blow-job skill came from. A soft tongue ran over the head teasing the slit. 

Suddenly he felt a hand loosely squeezing the balls and rolling them in his hand. Fuck this guy is amazing. Everything Joseph was doing to him felt amazing. His mouth was like heaven. He could die right now and be perfectly fine with it. Some teeth ran over his penis a little sending a shiver down his back. He suddenly came in Joseph’s mouth without warning. Seb did not last long. Joseph somehow swallowed it all before coming up to kiss Sebastian. He snuggled close to him. 

“Should I return the favor?” He asked laughing a little. 

“This was just for you,” Joseph answered. “I got myself off though.”

“Damn what did I do to deserve you?” Sebastian asked. 

“Nothing,” he answered him with a fond smile. “We just click.” 

The two men snuggled close together falling asleep. It felt nice knowing that there is someone that wants to be with you through thick and then. Joseph just wondered what the underline threat of Mobius could be and what exactly are they planning. That will have to wait. Right now the two were enjoying a blissful night of silence. Besides, there will not be many more nights like this. 

\--------------------------------

The Mobius agent looked at the apartment through her car window while looking through the files of the three people residing there. The redhead sighed heavily staring at an old photo of Leslie. His sixteenth birthday will be coming up soon. She wondered what they could have planned for their favorite albino. All these years they spent watching him grow. Not that they did a good job at doing it, but they made sure that he was not in danger of anything. The Withers boy is special to them since his grandfather was a former agent. 

A man looked over to her with a bored expression. “Do we have to monitor them?” He asked. 

“Yes,” she answered. “Do you realize that Leslie Withers birthday is coming up? Maybe Ruvik will pay him a visit.” 

“Wait, he’s getting out that early?” He asked. The woman nodded. 

“May thirteenth is Leslie’s birthday,” she told him. “April thirtieth is the release date. Personally I’m excited.” The man looked up at the apartment. “You should get some rest. I can watch the place. Besides, you will be monitoring them all day tomorrow.” 

“Great,” he said closing his eyes. 

The woman smiled looking up at the place. So many big events were coming up that is caused all sorts of uproar in the agency. The female agent smiled looking up from the papers. Yes. Everything is starting to come together. The only piece Mobius is missing is their King. After that the pawns will come around to be his little toys. It only seemed right that they treat their King piece well since if it weren’t for him they would not even be playing this game in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cries* I honestly cannot respond to all your kind words because I have been so overwhelmed by how amazing you guys are. Wow. I honestly do not deserve fans like you at all. Your words keep me going and just make my day. All of you are just amazing! *gives you all hugs!* If you guys ever feel like I don't read your comments or appreciate you just know it is your kind words that just make me wanna cry. I thought since I had this chapter written and couldn't wait to give it to you until Sunday that you deserve it! *gives more hugs!* Thank you for all your support. Thank you for being amazing! Love all yo faces! Keep being you!


	27. One Thing to Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little time with our favorite rookie, Juli Kidman

Juli Kidman is a bright young rookie with a fantastic future ahead of her. She had worked long and hard to get where she is now. After running away at a young age from your family it was hard for her to even live her life normally. Struggling just to get by became her life. It was not until she was in her early twenties that she decided being a cop was her dream. It is through this way she met her girlfriend. There was a domestic abuse call that Juli was sent on. Her boyfriend was beating her up since she was leaving him. 

Juli quickly ended that, arresting the man and meeting the girl of her dreams. Tanya was special. She was sweet, caring, and knew exactly what she had been through. With her Kidman decided to take the detective exams. Now being a detective was so much better than being a cop. It was a feeling of pure excitement. Not only will she be helping people, but solving cases that needed to be fixed. It was also a bonus that the two senior officers that she was chosen to work with were an interesting pair to say the least. 

Another aspect she never thought she would know about is this Ruvik character that apparently helps them with cases. He freaked her out to no end. She would never let him know that of course since he is clearly locked up there for many reasons. A part of her wanted to try and dig up his files. Then there was the part of Juli that just decided to let things go. Kidman is known for taking risks, but not making stupid ones. Clearly doing research on him might lead to bad things. 

Juli sat there drinking her coffee as she prepared for the day. Tanya was there gathering her papers for her boss. She had gotten a job as a secretary. It was not an easy job, but her boss was good and the pay was amazing. Juli looked over her at the suit she wore. It was a nice grey suit that she only wore on important days. Kidman smiled at her. “Is it an important day?” She asked. Tanya nodded her head. 

“My annual review,” she responded. “When do you have to go in?” 

“Soon,” Juli told her. “I always manage to beat those old guys every time. They do have a kid to take care of though, so I understand.” 

“You babysat him once, didn’t you?” She asked. 

“More like keeping him company,” Juli corrected. She liked spending time with the kid. He was cute, sweet, and seemed to like the same kind of movies that she liked. “Leslie is very independent, but I think he just likes having the company.” 

Tanya nodded her head. “I have to go,” she kissed her girlfriend quickly. “I’ll make dinner when I get back home. Have a good day looking at dead bodies.” 

She left the apartment quickly. Juli then began getting ready. She grabbed her gun, making sure the safety was on. Now it was time for her to meet up with her partners. 

She went to the office, stopping to a muffin, or three, to eat while she was working. When she arrived to the office she saw the two men talking about something, most likely another body that had recently surfaced. She walked up to the two men taking a quick look at the files. Sure enough there was another body that surfaced. Kidman had a weird feeling about what could possibly be going on with all these strange occurrences. Krimson City held many secrets it seemed. 

Juli moved here after passing the state detective exam with Tanya because it was one of the few areas that were looking for a new rookie detective. It is just her luck that she ended up with the two detectives that happened to be banging one another. Honestly there were worst people that she could be working with. The two were really nice and smart people. Sebastian is a fun to work with since him and her have similar tastes. Joseph is slightly different. It might be because he is such a serious man trying to keep his boyfriend out of trouble while taking care of a kid. 

That brings her thoughts traveling to the young albino that he was raising. Leslie reminded her of a lot that she left behind when she ran away. She did not miss her parents or the life style she lived, it was shithole that the young girl was not going to live in. It was like a weight lifted off of her. But then it fell on her shoulders quickly when remembering her brother. Leslie reminded her so much of the kid she practically raised back at her shitty home. There was no way she would be returning to that place though. It was too late. Juli made her decision. 

But that does not mean she can’t be friends with Leslie. When the two men decided that it was time for them to go out on a little date night they would always ask her. That was nice. She loved spending time with Leslie. The two would often watch amazing fantasy films or anything else the kid had a desire to watch. It was a good thing that they enjoyed the same thing. Through this Kidman learned that he was actually a very bright kid. 

It was a shame to see what had happened to him. Juli promised herself that she will make sure that he is protected, that he does get the life he deserves. At least if she acts like the older sister she was supposed to be then maybe it will make up for leaving one behind. 

Juli arrived at the station. People were tense since more bodies have surfaced. Though she did not feel like dealing with it. The incidents involving the bodies were just now becoming common occurrences. Bodies appearing with weird markings like this should not be not being treated like it was rain on a Tuesday afternoon where it is a minor inconvenience, however it appears to be that way. The local newspapers have even stopped reporting on it since it became so common. 

One of the reasons is that there was no new information. Callahan did not want any information leaking out about this case in the slightest. Not with who might be behind this and any possible witness they get ends up dead. Alison did not want stuff like that to tarnish her station’s representation. It was bad enough that the city council did feel confident in her abilities. Alison won’t let anything happen to her department because of this case. Not again. 

Juli sat in her chair, looking over to the two older men. “Has anything new popped up?” Kidman asked looking down at the files. All she got were grumbling noises instead from Sebastian. “I take that as a no. Well, at least we have some idea as to who we are looking for.” 

“Marcelo has gone missing,” Joseph stated very bitterly. “Unless his body suddenly shows up then we have no way in tracking him.” 

“All thanks to Mobius,” Juli completed the rest of his thoughts. “But you don’t think he has seriously been working for those guys?” 

“Jojo thinks his old partner is working for those guys,” Sebastian explained. “At this point anyone who is anyone can be working for those freaks.” 

“But we still don’t know anything the company,” Juli nodded her head. “Of course, all shadow companies with no real patterns are most likely freaks.” 

“Couldn’t agree more,” Seb told her. “Anyways, Kid, what is new with you? Do you have any plans this weekend?” 

“Nothing is new and why do you ask?” Juli raised an eyebrow. 

“I wanted to invite you to a dinner,” Joseph explained. He looked at her. “What do you say? Leslie would love to see you.” 

“You’re using that kid against me,” she sighed. “Yeah. I’ll come to dinner. Can I bring Tanya?” 

“Certainly,” Joseph answered. 

“What is the occasion?” She asked. They did not invite her over for dinner often. There must be something more to it than they are letting on. 

“Honestly, we wanted to talk about this case without being scrutinized at the precinct,” Sebastian explained. Juli scooted closer to them. “We need to run something by you to see if it is something mentioning to Alison.” 

“Why would we not tell her not?” Kidman asked. 

“It involves Ruvik,” Joseph explained. “We’ll explain later. Still bring Tanya because it will be good and Leslie likes her too.” 

Juli nodded as she went back to work. The day went by very quickly. During the lunch break Juli told her girlfriend about having dinner with her partners. She seemed very excited about spending some time with them. They had not spent very much time together, nor had she had properly met Leslie. Juli was relieved that she was happy to come considering she hates it when they plan last minute things. 

When she was done with what little work they had Juli went back to her home. There was not much going on with the case. Ever since the first boy showed up it has been all they were working on. The most important thing is trying to figure out who is dumping the bodies around the city. There was also the issue that they could not identify who the missing people were. No reports of missing persons. No news on anything else. It was all a complete mystery. There weren’t any people fitting the descriptions in any well. 

Kidman frowned thinking about all the John and Jane Does that have surfaced. Those thoughts quickly vanished when she saw her girlfriend in a blue dress. Her hair was curled up looking nice. That was one thing that Tanya was always better at than Juli: a sense of fashion. After running away from home she had no desire to worry about looking nice, only professional. If it weren’t for her she would be dressed like Sebastian. Though she will admit she liked wearing the shoes that she forced her to wear. 

Juli flopped on the couch looking up at her. “You’re pretty dressed up for having dinner with my partner’s,” she commented. “It’s not like it will be a five course meal.” 

“But I never dress up anymore,” complained the woman. 

“You dress up for work all the time,” Juli sighed. She got a look from Tanya, but couldn’t see it. She felt the woman walk away towards their room. Kidman was going to check on her making sure she did not upset her. 

“Stay there,” she ordered from the room. Juli remained where she was sitting. The woman emerged from the bedroom with a nice red shirt with a pretty floral print on it. It looked nice. Juli smiled looking at her. “You can wear it tonight. At least try and look nice, for me?” 

Juli smiled a little. “Yeah,” she sighed. “I’ll change and then we can go to their place.” 

Tanya smiled resting on the couch. Juli went to the bathroom to get change. The shirt fit like a dream. She decided to keep her jeans on because they were not faded too badly. When Kidman left the bathroom Tanya was so thrilled to see how the shirt looked on her. She clapped her hands very happily. Juli loved how she got such enjoyment out of getting her nice clothing items. It was something that Juli always appreciated since her mother never bought her anything nice. It was a luxury that she never had as a kid and it something that she will never actually be used to. 

“Now, let’s go to their apartment,” Juli said. She honestly wanted to hear about what the two had thought about on how it could involve Ruvik in any way. Perhaps he is a part of this case in some way. It had been a long time since she had actually seen him or even heard from the man. Not that she was complaining. The little time she spent around him was not pleasant. 

The two soon arrived at the apartment. Joseph let them in. He began telling them about how Sebastian was coking steaks for them. Leslie was helping him with the sides that would be served with the steak. Tanya seemed to love how much like a father and son they appeared to be. Juli will admit it is nice to see how close they had become. It still weirds her out that Joseph has raised Leslie, but it is more to say than her own family. They sat down at the table, beginning to chat about all sorts of topics.

Sebastian told stories of his rookie year at KCPD. Kidman did not know if she was thrilled to learn that he next changed or terrified that he hasn’t changed. Well, at least his personality is predictable. She also heard stories of Sebastian failing for the first few months at being a father to Leslie. He was not always as graceful with the kid as he is now. After years it finally seemed he got it right. 

Juli told them about how she met Tanya. They both met at a place that helped youth that did not have any family. Tanya had lost her parents in a car wreck and had no family left and Juli was a runaway that was far too away from home. Together they helped the other get through school, eventually becoming closer than friends, and to where they are now: happily dating and living together. It is much better than either would have expected. They weren’t even originally from Krimson City. They just found their way here when searching for jobs. 

Now it was so much better. Tanya chatted with Leslie about school and asked him how things were going. The three detectives then went off separately to talk about the case. Juli looked over to the two people currently bonding over such sill things like fantasy books they have read. Her attention then turned to the two detectives. 

“So, what is about Ruvik?” Juli whispered. 

“It’s similar to something I did a long time ago,” Sebastian said. “Ruvik had pretty much gone off the deep end and used patients from Beacon for his personal gain.” 

“So you think Ruvik is behind the bodies appearing?” Juli asked. 

“Yes,” he answered. “But I have been talking with his guard and with the people at Beacon and they said he has never left his cell or had any visitors.” 

“A theory we have going on is that someone, most likely Mobius, has taken his research and is using it for their personal gain.” 

“Should we pay him a visit?” Juli smirked. 

Sebastian looked at her with a tired expression. The last time they met it was in the rush of Joseph’s life and he did get the impression that Ruvik liked her in any possible way. If anything he loathed her very existence. He also might not be a help. He might not even know what exactly is going outside his cell. That is a fucking lie. It is Ruvik they are talking about after all. If it dealt with one of his greatest inventions then he will certainly know about it. 

“It’s not a bad idea, you know,” Juli pointed out. 

“No, it’s not,” Joseph agreed. He looked over to Sebastian. “Do you suppose we could try and see him at Beacon first thing in the morning?” 

Sebastian nodded his head. “We can get in there are like eight in the morning.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” said Juli. “Now, let’s go back to enjoying our dinner.” 

Joseph looked over to Sebastian a little worriedly. Sebastian only saw it briefly before he went to be the perfect host. Juli noticed that both men seemed a little tense. She couldn’t blame them for anything. Sebastian had dealt with this sort of this before, obviously why Ruvik is even in that cell in the first place. Joseph also had to protect Leslie from whatever dangers there are in the world. 

Juli had no one besides Tanya. Even then she is fully confident that her girlfriend can protect herself if something were to go wrong. This entire case has put a lot of strain on the three detectives. There was so much going on that it is hard to tell who exactly their enemy is. In the end all they really can do is attempt to find this mystery out. Juli just wished that they could get out of this mess without a scratch on them. One can only hope. 

The rest of the night was a peaceful evening. They all talked about their jobs. It was nice spending some personal time together. Juli drank a little too much. Luckily her girlfriend will be driving. Spending time with Leslie was also nice. He seemed to like it when guests came to their home. It is good for the kid if he were to live a normal life. 

It was around nine o’clock when the two girls arrived home. Both changed into more comfortable clothing. Kidman stumbled into their bed. Tanya laughed lightly coming beside her. Juli looked over to the woman with a look of concern. If what Joseph and Sebastian were thinking is true then she should be worried, right? Mobius killed a witness. They clearly are not afraid to get rid of people that are in their way. Juli had reason to worry protecting the one person that really matters to her. 

“What are you thinking about?” Tanya asked. She pulled her hair down as it fell around her shoulders. “I know that look. It does not lead to anything good.” 

“Just thinking about the case is all,” she assured her with a small smile. “There is something wrong. Almost like there is something darker that we haven’t even scratched the surface on.” 

“You’ll figure it out,” she wrapped an arm around her. “All three of you are smart after all.”

The rookie nodded her head. “Yeah…” Her thoughts traveled to this case. There was so much going on. She was too tired and drunk to think about it. All she wanted was sleep. It was not long before sleep got a hold of her. Kid closed her eyes feeling Tanya running her hand through her girlfriend’s hair. If there at least one thing worth protecting then it is moments like this. Moments where they are in peace and calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, a shippers story! I will start trying to post every Sunday as my usual schedule. Don't worry, next week we will have more Ruvik and Leslie scenes because them bonding plays a big part in story. Hope you aren't mad at me! I am so sorry!!! I will try and be better! Thanks for being amazing! Love all yo faces! Stay amazing!


	28. Leslie and Ruben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ruben sort of realizing that they care about each other along with other things!

Ruvik looked through a book that was in his cell. It was a psychological studies book about traumas and the effects it has on people. He found himself constantly reading it since he and Leslie began these little meetings. It was peaceful. Speaking of Leslie, he was on the other side of the glass drawing on his sketch pad. When he arrived, he had a box filled with a variety of different colored pencils. He was messing around with them working on a picture that he had yet to reveal. Leslie continued to work on it in complete silence. While he is working on art it seems like this is the only time that he is truly at peace. His mind did not wonder too far from reality or have any flashbacks. This was the one time that his thoughts were in one place.

Finally, Ruvik had enough of the silence that they were having. “What are you working on?” The older man asked him. Leslie looked up at him like he was just interrupted by something.

Leslie played with the corner of the paper. “You…” He answered him in a low voice. “W-wanted to draw your scars in bright colors.”

“When you are done, I would like to see.” He said in an encouraging way. Leslie nodded his head as he went back to work.

Ruvik had to admit that when Leslie set his mind to something he would do anything to make it perfect. For a few brief moments, he watched Leslie out of the corner of his eye to see him work. His hands moved so much more gracefully than when he as outside of his element. He was so dedicated to his work. The look in his eyes is so focused and determined. Leslie would stop briefly to look at Ruvik to study his scars. They were analyzing the colors to see how each one held a different light about them. Ruvik could tell that there was color in all the little details of the scars. Ruvik liked watching this. It was interesting to see how he put his thoughts together so that it can create a brilliant picture. It was also very different from his normal personality. Normally he would be on edge, like a rabbit trying to find a way to escape, but during this time he moves his hands so well together to create something beautiful.  
Ruvik placed his book down to look at Leslie. “What do you like drawing the most?” Ruvik asked suddenly. The teenager looked at him a bit surprised. His blue eyes sparkled a little, because he knew his answer already.

“I-I like drawing you,” he admitted smiling a bit. That made Ruvik laugh a little with a soft smile on him as well. He can’t remember a time when someone made him genuinely smile. That might have been when Laura was alive. Leslie then thought for a little longer about the question, wanting to add more. “I-I also like… I like drawing flowers, p-people, and rain.”

Ruben raised an eyebrow. That was an odd one. “Rain?” He asked. Leslie nodded his head getting back to drawing. “Why try drawing rain? Is that not hard?”

Leslie nodded his head. “M-my mom w-would take us to play in the rain when… when we were young,” he explained. “Rain… rain always relaxed us. I-it was fun. W-what do y-you like?”

Ruben placed his book aside on the table to look at Leslie. The teenager was looking at him, waiting for the answer. “Sunflowers,” he answered. “My sister and I would play in the fields my family own. When you looked out from above the fields it could go on forever. In those fields, I would find and catch little animals to…” Ruvik thought about his words briefly. “Play with. Back then it was simple.”

Leslie scooted closer to the cell wanting to listen to more of what Ruben had to say. “W-was your sister nice?” He asked nervously.

Ruben smiled a bit. Asking if Laura was nice is asking the most obvious question, but then again Leslie did not know how wonderful she was. When Laura was alive it was like all the darkness in the world would be erased with her presence. Her smile was enough to get him to smile. But Leslie was not Laura. In some ways, they were similar since they both tended to look at the positive side of things and they were simple, not wanting very much. Neither of them were overly complicated in what they needed or what they liked. They were humble people. “She was nice,” he responded to Leslie. “I think you two would have gotten along. She loved to dance, sing, she was a wonderful violin player, and she was so much more than what people were ready for. She was brilliant. But she was gone before her time.”

“I-I’m sorry,” he said. He was so soft when he spoke. Ruben wondered when he found a soft spot for the kid. He was just so tiny and needed someone to ensure he was safe. His phone suddenly went off causing him to jump a little. “H-hello? I-I forgot. I-I’m sorry. M-meet you there. Bye.” He ends the phone call and sighs. Ruben saw the little bit of disappointment in his eyes. He picked up his stuff before looking at the man. “I-I forgot about, uh, a s-study session. I-I will see you soon.”

“Be safe, Leslie.” Ruben told him softly. “I will see you soon.”

Leslie smiled sneaking back outside of the place. Ruben honestly hated how he was slowly being charmed by the little albino… Leslie. He was not a thing anymore, no one of his nameless experiments, he has become Leslie Withers in his eyes. Ruben began questioning why he had become so interested in this child. It was dangerous. He could not let these feelings towards Leslie get in the way of decision making or his goals. Ruben had to start distancing himself from the teenager. He needed to do this not just for himself either, but for Leslie’s safety. Ruben found it strange that he was putting someone’s safety first. It was an interesting development. However, it was hard to tell if this going to be beneficial or not.

 

* * *

 

 

Nathaniel was talking with Amanda preparing for a test. He was a little worried about Leslie though. Lately he has been a little flightier than normal. It was normal for him to have his head in the clouds, but lately it was concerning him more. He was forgetting stuff or running late to stuff that he would normally keep track for. He looked over to Amanda hoping to find the answers. “You think Leslie has a girlfriend?” He asked her suddenly. Amanda raised her head from looking at her laptop with a raise eyebrow like he was introducing some completely strange idea.

“If he does, it is not anyone from our school,” she answered him. “Girls at our school think of Leslie more as a little kid. Kind of scared of him too. I mean, you’ve seen him. He’s practically skin and bones. Not like his father doesn’t make sure he eats, because he does, but at the same time he’s so small.” She stopped talking with she noticed the creases in Nathaniel’s forehead. Of course, it was expected. He had taken to protecting Leslie and in return became good friends with him. “Maybe you should ask him. He generally doesn’t keep secrets. Besides, I am positive everyone in the school would love to know if Leslie Oda-Withers is dating someone.”

“How did you figure out his full legal name?” Nathaniel asked.

“A good reporter never reveals her secrets,” she told him with a sly smile returning to her work. Nathaniel rolled his eyes. Amanda sighed. “Look, I am sure if you ask Leslie what he has been up to he will tell you.”

Nathaniel nodded his head. The door then suddenly opened the door with Leslie breathing heavily. He could see that he was holding a bigger sketchpad and his backpack was hanging off his shoulders. He walked in taking his seat beside Nathaniel. “I-I’m sorry,” he said. He placed his stuff down and took out his books. Amanda then looked up from her computer to Nathaniel giving a little quirk in her eyebrow. She was thinking about something. Nathaniel did not like that look she was giving him. Leslie was blissfully unaware of this silent conversation as he took his stuff out.

Amanda smiled towards him a little wider. She was going to ask him if he really has been seeing someone. Nathaniel would never do that. He doesn’t have the guts to ask. She put her laptop away and looked at Leslie. “So, Leslie, why were you late?” Amanda asked.

Leslie froze for a little trying to think of how to explain Ruben. Nathaniel wondered if he was trying to figure out an excuse. Was he trying to come up with a lie? Surely not. That would not be like Leslie at all. “I-I met someone,” he told her blushing a little bit of red on his cheeks. He never expected Leslie to be flirting with anyone. He just did not seem like the type to be interested in people.

“So, little Leslie Withers has a girlfriend?” She asked jokingly pushing his shoulder. He seemed very surprised by her reaction.

Leslie got a little redder. “No,” he corrected her lowly. Now the two of them had their full attention on him. “It-it’s not a girl.”

“So, a boyfriend?” Amanda asked surprised and giddy at the same time. Leslie did not like this at all and looked at Nathaniel for a way out. He shrugged which was the sign for not getting out of it. “Does he go to our school? How did you meet him? What’s his name?”

Leslie played around with his sleeves a bit thinking of what he could say. “N-no,” he answered her. That automatically sent Amanda into full investigation mode. She had the biggest grin on her face. “M-met him at a, uh, session. H-his name is Ruben.”

“He doesn’t go to our school?” Nathaniel asked to confirm what Leslie just said. He nodded his head. “Then how can you trust him? Also, what kind of name is Ruben? Is he some sort of Victorian vampire or something?” Nathaniel knew that Leslie was not completely gullible, but he also tended to trust people a little too easily sometimes, especially when they show some sign of being kind or good hearted. It made him worry. Nathaniel might be a little too protective, but that did not matter. He had to protect Leslie from the dangers of other people. “Are you sure that you can trust him?”

Leslie nodded his head. “R-Ruben is nice,” he explained. “He-he wouldn’t hurt anyone.” He said this like he really believed it. Maybe he did. But it still made Nathaniel worried that someone would be interested in Leslie. Generally, he had to make sure that other people did not pick on him or do anything else that might cause him harm. He was an easy target. If Nathaniel did not know who Ruben was then how could he protect him? “C-can we s-study now?” Leslie asked. He wanted to change the subject. Nathaniel nodded his head not wanting to make Leslie anymore uncomfortable than he already is.

The three studied for a few hours together. They made jokes about the classes they were taking, Amanda shared some gossip about a few of the teachers, and then some actual study time. It was relaxing and good. Leslie smiled happily listening to them. It was peaceful. Nathaniel liked seeing Leslie this way since his normal self was always so tense. He was twitchy and looking like there was always something behind his back. Nathaniel couldn’t understand why he was this way. All he really knew about Leslie is that he had a messed up early childhood. His mom would never go into detail about it other than his face used to be all over the newspapers, even in Krimson City. Now one would not know this judging by the way he was laughing with them now. It was a surprisingly charming. He just had something special about him that people either wanted to exploit or enjoy. It was hard to tell just who was rooting for Leslie exactly.

After a few hours of studying it was starting to get dark. Joseph came to pick up Leslie since they had about all they can handle with studying. Leslie gathered his stuff up together. He as walking outside the door, not realizing he had left something behind. Amanda noticed that he forgot his sketch pad. She grabbed it so she could give it back to him. Curiosity got the best of her and she decided to look through it quickly before he noticed. It just so happened the first picture she turned to was the unfinished piece of a scarred man with sunflowers surrounding him. Amanda found it interesting. It was a very weird to say the least. Leslie looked at her with a concerned look in his eyes. He never liked showing his art to anyone, but this was certainly something she never expected from Leslie.

“This is a neat looking picture,” she said looking at Leslie. She gave back the sketch pad, which he took right away. “You should it enter it in the art contest at school.”

Leslie shook his head folding it back up to hide the picture. “T-thank you,” he said shyly before quickly leaving. Leslie got to the back seat of the car sighing. Joseph began talking to him, but Leslie’s thoughts traveled to Ruben. It was a little worrisome that he was down there by himself. He worried that something would happen to Ruben without his knowledge. He wondered if he became lonely. He just wanted to know if he was Ruben’s only visitor.

 

* * *

 

 

That answer would be no. Since now Ruvik was staring amused at Marcelo Jimenez. He was furious by how MOBIUS was neglecting him over trying to bring out Ruvik just he can replace him. In all fairness, he was surprised Marcelo caught on so easily to their plan since they weren’t trying to be entirely secretive about it. Watching Marcelo being this mad is truly entertaining. He had not seen him this mad since he discovered that Ruvik was using his own patients as test subjects. This honestly took the cake for him. He watched with an amused expression on his face.

“I don’t like being slighted, Ruvik,” the man gnarled. That was so uncivilized of him.

“Then we both know how it feels,” Ruvik responded quickly. “Being pushed aside is a rather bitter taste, don’t you agree? But as long as MOBIUS does not erase your existence then I supposed there is no reason for you to worry.”

“Since when is MOBIUS interested in working with you?” He gritted his teeth. Ruvik smirked a little bit more seeing how he could dig under his skin. It seemed like he could really get somewhere with him. Back when he was younger and simply a student to know was entertaining. “You are put behind this wall for a reason! MOBIUS knew this for a long time, and yet they want you. You did something to disgrace your name. You made the front fucking pages!”  
“Being able to work on a machine of pure brilliance is far greater than having a name,” Ruvik responded. “They’re tired of you, Jimenez. You wore on them like your brother did. The only thing you have going for you is that you have not laid a hand on the Withers boy.”

Marcelo seemed to resent that comment. That was something that will forever be a sore spot. It was his brother’s fault for making such a public show for fighting to keep Leslie Withers in the first place. He remembered hearing about it, hearing the yelling from his office. Then all the commotion about whether Marcelo was trusted. It was all interesting and a great source of torment. “You need to watch yourself, Ruvik,” Jimenez warned. “If you do not tread lightly with MOBIUS you will be sorry.”

Ruvik looked at him a little more annoyed than he was earlier. He threw his arms out to the sides showing his body more fully. Scars covered his body, all of them aching red and throbbing. “And what if I already served my penance?” Ruvik asked. “What if I lost all that mattered? My sister is gone. My appearance is gone. Nothing of my humanity exists. The only part of Ruben Victoriano that is still alive is his mind and that mind belongs to me. It does not belong to MOBIUS, to the world… not even to you. If you think your threats mean anything to me, then you would be sorely disappointed.”

“I am not doing this for my benefit, but if MOBIUS was able to chew and spit out many other minds before me than they will do the same to you,” Marcelo explained. “Your penance has no bearing over what they are capable of.”

“If you care so much you should report it to the police,” Ruvik told him in a deadpan way pulling his arms back to his side. Marcelo looked ashamed, but he knew that he wouldn’t report. “I know you wouldn’t do that. It doesn’t matter what MOBIUS wants from me it’s a way out of here. A way to get back what I so desire. Even in the end if it destroys me, at least I can still live out my life without being behind a cell.”

Marcelo knew there was no way he could reason with Ruvik. When he made up his mind about something there was nothing that was going to change it. That was the one thing he hated most about Ruvik. He glared at him. “Enjoy being used by them, Ruvik.” Marcelo said walking out of the cell. “I certainly hope you can find some peace.” He left the man behind the cell. Ruvik rolled his eyes thinking that it was like his parents all over again. They thought that if they believed hard enough that he was not down there then he would cease to exist. That is not the case. If there is someone that know of his presence here then he will not simply stop existing. No. Instead he will only remain a ghost until the time comes when he can break over to the other side.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day was much like the previous day. Leslie was finishing his drawing of Ruben. The other man played the piano in the background creating a relaxing atmosphere. It was a way for Ruben to think. Leslie found enjoyment in listening to the music as well. He would hum along to the familiar tune that had been going on for a little while now. It was normal for the two to sit and relax like this and enjoy the other’s presence without having to speak to one another. However, there would be the occasional question Leslie would have. He looked up at Ruben with a question ready on his lips. “Ru-Ruben, what did… what did you do before this?” He asked nervously. There was some silence between them.

Ruben looked at the wall in front of him. “A psychologist,” he explained. “I studied the minds of people. It was my passion. I found it fascinating to study another person’s mind. Always wanted to know what made them tick.”

“D-did you help p-people?” He asked a little worried. Ruben sighed knowing fully well why he would have a sense of uneasiness around him.  
“I did help people,” he lied. Ruben did not want Leslie to feel scared or threatened in any sort of way. That was the last thing he wanted. “I might have made mistakes, but my intentions were never meant to harm anyone.” He looked at Leslie, stopping the music. The boy began drawing on the picture again. He was focused on it. He was thinking over what Ruben had just said. He knew that he had to conclude on how he really feels about this information himself. Ruben can only convince him so much that no harm will come to him.

Leslie worked on the picture for a few more minutes in complete silence. Ruben watched as it looked like he was beginning to finish the picture. He then began tearing it out of the sketch pad. “Y-you mean that?” Leslie asked looking at the scarred man. “Y-you don’t want to… don’t want to harm anyone?”

Ruben nodded his head without thinking. Even if it was a lie, at least Leslie will still return because he trusts him. “Leslie, would I lie to you?” He asked, though he knew he was lying. Leslie looked a little shocked for a minute before shaking his head. Ruben smiled knowing he had little Leslie Withers within his grasp. “Now, let’s see what you have been working on.” He requested. Leslie excitedly showed him through the glass. What he did not expect was the image of him surrounded by sunflowers. It was tastefully well done. The colors were very beautiful, but there was a dark eeriness about it. He was a little surprised by the amount of detail that was put into the picture. Ruvik thought that the art work helped keep his mind occupied and busy, but he never expected him to be this talented. However, this picture made him think of something besides whatever was going on in his mind.

“D-do you like it?” Leslie asked with big eyes looking upon him.

Ruben found a little entertain in that look of his. “It’s stunning, Leslie,” he told him honestly. Leslie smiled happily knowing that Ruben was pleased with it. There was that nice little innocence he had about him. Ruben liked it. That soft smile of his was precious. IT brought some memory back from the past. It strangely reminded him of Laura. The way her smile would light up a room and continue to shine even in the darkest of night. In a way, Leslie had that same smile.

“Y-you can have it,” Leslie offered. He knew where to stick items so that it can be put into his cell. He folded it up delicately to fit in there. Ruben smiled taking it out of the container. It was nice to see it in person, one could see all the pencil lines. “I-I hope yo-you like it.”

“Of course, I do,” Ruben assured him. Leslie then began playing around with his fingers in a nervous twitch again. He was thinking of something. Ruben frowned a little. “Is something wrong?”

“M-my birthday is soon,” he explained. “I-I know… I know there-there will be a party. B-but can I still see you? L-like a, uh, little party?”

Ruben knew that it would not work out. Not with MOBIUS planning to take him out of here soon. It was just around the corner. This moment was bound to happen. He should go ahead and break it to him. Ruben shook his head only to see the disappointment in Leslie’s blue eyes. “You should celebrate your birthday with your friends and family,” he explained. “WE will see each other soon. Enjoy yourself.”

“B-but you will… you will be alone,” Leslie responded a little worried about Ruben. It was a sweet sentiment, but he knew that Leslie needed to be away from for MOBIUS to carry out their plans. Leslie needed to be away from him. “D-do you… not like-like it when I come?”

“I enjoy it,” he explained. But he could still see such disappointment in his face. It was like he was being told that he could not come back here anymore. It was a little heartbreaking to see him so torn up about it. That was certainly not his intention to harm him. It was all done to protect him. “You should spend your birthday with your family. You don’t want them to worry about you.” Ruben sighed. “It might be best not to visit me again. It’s not good for you to spend all your time here.”

Leslie nodded his head, though the disappointment did not fade from his face. No. Instead he just sorts of looked lost. Ruben knew that he did not like the idea of not visiting him. However, for what is planned he needed Leslie to be away. He needed Leslie to just stay safe. The teenager began to pick up his things before sighing and looking at Ruben. “I-I’ll see you soon…” he mumbled as he finished packing his belongings up. He left quickly. Ruben sat down on the chair looking at where Leslie had run off to. It was bound to happen, but it still left a bitter feeling. Maybe he will see him about, but he doubts it. Ruben wondered about when he had grown such a soft spot for Leslie Withers.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days had passed. Leslie did not return to Ruben despite the face he knew that the older man was lonely. But he felt a little hurt about what he had said. It felt like he was unwanted, unneeded, and unnecessary. It was not a good feeling. It was like when he was a child again and someone told him to be silent in that hospital he stayed at. It cut him deep and hurt him so much. Somehow it hurt being away from Ruben more. He tried masking his feelings from the people around him, but Joseph noticed them quickly. He would comfort him the best he could. However, since he did not know what was really bothering Leslie he was a little lost on how he could help him.

Leslie hated being a burden to his father. He was the one person that seemed to understand him. Well, besides Ruben who made him feel calm. Now he felt like he was a burden to him. It is to be expected, though. Leslie knows he can be hard to be around sometimes. The way he was always twitchy, nervous, and often at times hard to understand made it difficult for people to have any sort pf patients with him. Maybe it was best that he was not around him for some time. It would give Ruben some time to think for himself, to not deal with Leslie being Leslie. He wanted to see him though. It was normal for him to talk with Ruben. Even his therapist was no help for these feelings. It was during a session that she tried to get him to open a little bit.

She looked at Leslie with a worried expression. “You haven’t talked much,” she mentioned in a soft voice. Leslie liked her. She was nice, pretty, and warm feeling. It felt a little like she was a mother. “Is something wrong? You have been silent like this for the past couple of days. I want to make sure that nothing is bothering you.”

Leslie looked at her with his eyes reading her facial expression. She genuinely showed concern. “H-how do you know… that-that you like someone?” He asked a little nervously.

“Do you mean having romantic feelings towards someone?” She asked. Leslie nodded his head. “It’s different for everyone. Some people feel sexual attraction, others get their words mixed up around them, and some get very nervous. It comes down to how you interrupt it. Is there someone that you like that is making you think this way?”

Leslie nodded his head. “Uh, a-a friend,” he explained. “H-he’s nice. T-talks to me. We-we have fun together. I-I don’t know…” Leslie scratched his head a little thinking about what he would say next. He could not describe it well enough to convey actual meaning. “I-I like him. Bu-but I don’t think he likes me.”

“Why would you like to do with him, Leslie?” She asked.

Leslie played with his hands looking down. He melted his hands together like he was holding hands before looking at her. “H-hold hands, snuggle, sweet stuff…” Leslie spoke softly.

“You say you don’t think he likes you, why do you think that?” She asked him, looking through her notes.

“People… they-they don’t like talking to me. They… they think I’m weird…” He explained. This is coming from his own observations from school and from the time he spent with Valerio. No one really liked him. They barely thought anything of him. The only people that even showed a bit of interests in him were his mother and Joseph. “M-my own father never l-liked me. W-why would Ruben be-be different?”

“That’s hard to know,” she began. “But if he is spending time with you then he clearly likes talking to you. Maybe not in the way you want, but there is a friendship there. I know this is the first time you felt something like this towards someone. It’s something exciting for you. Try not to fear it.”

“He-he doesn’t like me,” he shook his head. “He-he thinks I’m a kid… H-he said not to visit him anymore… I-I do-don’t know why it hurts.”

She frowned looking at Leslie. There was so much to talk about, but looking at the clock Leslie could tell their time was about to be done. Leslie was fine leaving it here. She wanted to say one last thing about him. “I am certain there is an explanation,” she explained. “This is the first time that you are feeling anything romantic with someone, which is why you’re conflicted. But we are out of time today. For the next session, I want to explore this a little more. Help you become a little more open to these emotions. How does that sound?” She asked. Leslie nodded his head moving his legs to the floor. He stood up with the therapist not far behind him. She walked him out of the room. “Now, for next time we are going to explore this a little more. Take care of yourself.”

Leslie nodded his head as he went to the waiting room. Joseph was outside of the room with a case file in his hands. He looked up seeing Leslie coming out. He quickly put the papers away and into a case before approaching Leslie. After a brief little conversation with the therapist the two were leaving. Leslie looked out of the window thinking about Ruben. It was still foreign to him. Romantic feelings were never something he considered, especially with Ruben. He had watched Joseph have relationships with people and then seeing him a little heartbroken over some. Now, he had also seen Joseph and Sebastian interacting with each other. Their relationship was so well balanced and it seemed like both men were really smitten with them. Leslie, though, seemed to find people that are older than him who are not interested in him or find him attractive. That is life itself. Leslie figured that out a long time ago.

Joseph said his final regards to her before they left. Leslie was still very silent. His thoughts were still focused on other things. Joseph still noticed how silent Leslie was being. It worried him. It was unusual for this to happen from time to time, however this was a different kind of silence. His mind was too clouded with thoughts of Ruben alone in that cage. He couldn’t believe that he didn’t want him to come anymore. It was too strange to think about that. Leslie was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice when they arrived back at the apartment building. Leslie got out and went to his room. When he arrived his looked at little sketches in his pad of Ruben he had done. His hood covered most of his face with the scars being shown on his lower chin and nose. Most of the sketches were the same, not very colorful or finished, but it still felt very much like Ruben. He then heard a knock at his door. He quickly put up his sketch pad before Sebastian came into his room.

“How are you doing, Leslie?” He asked. That look was familiar. It was a look of concern. Now Joseph got Sebastian worried. “Joseph tells me you’ve been very quiet lately.” Knew it. “Well, more so than normal.”

Sebastian was still getting used to Leslie’s personality. He was better than most of the people Joseph dated. It is clear he was used to having children around. He knew about being married before. It was nice. However, he was still a bit awkward, mainly because it was weird raising a teenager. “I-I’m fine,” he told him. “Just… just been thinking… thinking of stuff…”

The older man ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I know it’s hard for you to say what’s really on your mind,” he began saying. “And I’ve never dealt with teenagers, like actually raising them. I’ve dealt with them, but mostly because they are involved in a case and most of the time they are brats. But not you.” Leslie was looking at him with a confused look. Sebastian sighed. “What I’m trying to say, this is different for me as it is you. I want you to know that you can tell me and Joseph anything. I know it’s not easy. But, if something is bothering you, we want to know so we can help you.”

Leslie sighed. He was not sure what all to say. “I know,” is all he managed to say after some thinking. He gave him a dorky smile that he always had. It made him happy knowing that there was someone wanting to be by his side. At least there would always be someone. “T-thank you. I-I’ll let you know…”  
Sebastian messed his hair up a little bit smiling like a proud dad. “If you promise,” said the detective holding out his pink finger. Leslie hooked his pink to Sebastian’s pink making a promise. “Good. Dinner will be ready soon, kiddo.”

The older man left the teenager alone. Leslie sighed thinking back to the man in the basement. There are just some things that are too hard to tell. Especially when Leslie isn’t exactly sure how they will react. Leslie wanted to see him one more time. But it was for the best, just like Ruben said. Leslie would try to forget about it. Forget about him. It is not like he had to be with him all the time.

After all, they are going down different paths.

 

* * *

 

 

Ruvik looked out the car window watching as the city lights were a constant blur. He knew Leslie would not come to visit him at any time soon. They each had their own lives, well at least Leslie was still a growing teenager and needed interactions between people his age. Not some man that was trapped in a cell for cruel reasons. With his birthday approaching he knew there was no way he would come to visit him. The MOBIUS agent looked at him with a drink in her hand. She looked very bored or very intimidated by him. Either way, it did not matter. All that mattered is that he was truly out.

“So, everything should be in order,” she began saying. “Your equipment is in perfect condition. Even Doctor Jimenez is no longer an issue.” She stopped talking as she wondered what was going through his mind. “Mr. Victoriano, I assure you we have every detail covered. There will be no repeats like the last incident.”

Ruben looked at her with cold eyes. He knew that she was a recent hire, someone young and impressionable. The older agent, Joseph Oda’s old partner, just silenced her. “He’s not worried about that,” she said. She raised a glass to him. “Congrats, on freedom… Ruvik. How does it feel to be a free man?”

Ruvik thought about that for a moment. He knew that nothing would be like the first time. However, that did not stop the grain of doubt he had residing deep inside of him. Even MOBIUS is on his side, even if everything is thought out, there is always one wild factor that he will never be counting on. Ruvik erased that doubt from his head looking at the two agents. He gave a sinister smile. “It feels good to be back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am alive, well, and finally past this writers block! Thank you all for your amazing comments and liking this story! It honestly keeps me motivated (love those comments bros!!) and it just means so much!! I swear they made me tear up. So, start expecting regular (or semi regular depending on school) updates coming your way! You all are amazing,  
> Love yo faces! Stay amazingly beautiful!


	29. The Birthday - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is Leslie's birthday! A time for celebration and a time for past birthday memories.

_Leslie remembers his sixth birthday very well. He could recall all those little details that made that day special for him. It was one of the happier memories he had of his family. Then there was his mother. It was the for the first time in a long time that she seemed relax with the sweetest smile ever. It had been a few months since the death of his biological father and they had moved in with his step-father and his daughter. Everyone in the family was still getting used to each other. Leslie and Trevor were getting used to having an older sister and their sister was getting used to having little brothers. It was a little difficult getting used to one another, especially with the move into the new house and no one had rooms ready. Leslie and Trevor didn’t even have beds yet._

_Leslie recalled he and his brother still sleeping with his mother and step-father. Now it was hard to get everything livable. Everyone was struggling to pick up parts of their lives that had been destroyed by his father. It had taken a lot out of his mother to leave, then to have the tragedy of Trevor almost dying had put so much strain on her. All Leslie could recall of his biological father is that he hurt his mother and him and his brother. Yet, this was one of those few days where it seemed like his mother had a look that told him that everything would be fine. It was on his sixth birthday when his older sister woke them up._

_“Hey, wake up,” she said shaking them a little bit. Trevor tried swatting her hand away. She only ruffled his hair a little more. “Guys, wake up. Anna and my dad are making your favorite breakfast.” Trevor shot up instantly causing Leslie to grumble a little bit. He reluctantly got up. His new sister smiled. “Happy birthday, kiddos. Congrats, you’ve made it on this planet for six long years. How does that feel?”_

_“Loud,” Leslie answered._

_“Smells like burning,” Trevor said._

_“Shit. The biscuits,” she said. The older girl looked at the young kids. “Shit.”_

_“You really shouldn’t say bad words,” Trevor said._

_“On our birthday,” Leslie added._

_“Fine. No more cussing. I guess I’m not used to younger kids,” she said. “Now, let’s eat breakfast. Pancakes, burnt biscuits, and chocolate milk.”_

_The two boys got up following their sister to the kitchen. When they arrived, they saw their mother and Jackson laughing about burning the biscuits. She seemed happy talking with him about stuff. It was better than with their real father. She kissed him on the cheek then saw her two boys. She came over to them bringing them into a hug. “Happy birthday,” she said kissing them both on their heads. Jackson came over to them holding something behind his back._

_“Happy birthday, boys,” he said. He pulled out two little boxes from behind his back. “I got you two a little something before you see your big present.”_

_Leslie and Trevor took the gifts in their hands looking at the neatly wrapped gifts. They tore them open to reveal white boxes. Trevor opened his first to see that it was tickets for a basketball game coming up. He smiled brightly hugging the man. He ruffled his hair a little. Leslie opened his box next to see that it contained little canvases._   
_“Yeah, I know you like art and stuff and, well, I’m not good with that sort of thing, but I thought you might want to draw something for your room.” Jackson said._

_“Room?” Leslie and Trevor asked together._

_“It was going to be a surprise, but, just follow me.” Their mother said leading them down the hall. The two followed their mother until they were at the room at the end of the hallway. His mother seemed happy. Though Leslie was confused at the time since he recalled most of the room was stuff with their unpacked boxes and was full of cobwebs. Now his mother seemed happy bringing them inside there. On the door there was a sign painted on the door with the names Trevor and Leslie written on it. She opened the door revealing it to the two boys. Both of their eyes lit up excitedly as they saw two twin beds with tables beside them. One side was themed for Trevor with two of his favorite sports teams’ posters with a basketball lamp and sheets. Then for Leslie there was bright colors and empty canvases for Leslie to paint on._

_The walls were a calming blue color with grey accents. Then there were matching chested drawers for their clothing. It was perfect for the two sets of twins. Trevor went on his bed falling on it. Leslie looked at the empty canvases on his side of the room. He looked back at his mother with a questionable expression on his mother._

_“Happy birthday, Leslie,” she said kissing the top of his head. “This is the start of our new life here and you boys need your own room.”_

_He hugged his mother snuggling closer to her leg. “I love it,” he said. This was one of the greatest moment of his life. It seemed like a much simpler time then. To Leslie it seemed like they could be happy. All of them together were beginning to be a happy family. After all that his mother went through, his brother, and even himself it appeared that even they could live normally. Leslie had a father that seemed to love him, he had an older sister that tolerated him, and his mother was happy. They were like a real family._

 

* * *

 

 

That is a fantasy however. Barely three years later was his family his family was slaughtered in front of him. His twin, his brother, his other half just stopped breathing with his tears falling down his cheeks reaching out for Leslie. That image burned in his mind. Everything was destroyed in that single moment. After that it seemed like his life would never return to something happy, or even equivalent to that. With his family gone Leslie never felt more alone in this world. No one seemed to want him. No one seemed to understand him. No one care except Joseph. He was his saving grace.

He gave him a home when he didn’t have to do that. Now, five years later he is groaning as he got up from his bed. Leslie was tired, but he needed to get up because after all, today is a special day: his birthday. He slowly stood up stretching a little before going to get a change of clothing. Leslie chose some jeans with a black hoodie with red stitching around the edges. He walked out outside of his room smelling something amazing. Sebastian was cooking something amazing. He loved it when Seb cooked breakfast. Joseph a good cook, now after years of learning, but there was something amazing about his cooking. He approached the kitchen to see the older man with an apron on and his normal detective clothing on. He looked up at the kid with a smile.

“Happy birthday, kid,” Sebastian said.

“T-thank you,” he said.

“Sixteen huh,” the man began flipping a pancake. “I remember when I was that age. I was quite the skirt chaser in my high school days.” Leslie looked at him with a raise eyebrow. “But that was when I was a lot younger. So, do you feel older?” He was still awkward around kids. It was nice. He was a good man. Still awkward around anyone younger than twenty-five.

Leslie nodded his head. “I-it’s a weird feeling,” he said. “Where is dad?”

“Taking a shower,” he said. Leslie nodded his head. Sebastian then looked over to Leslie thinking about Lilly. She would have been around his age. He recalled when she was born. He and Myra choked about worrying about boys chasing after her because she was just too good looking. It was a nice thought. But now that future will never come. Sebastian guessed Leslie will be the closest to having a child again. Which it was good. Leslie was a good child and cared about the people he was around him. Sebastian cared about Leslie. “Well, we got some fun plans for today. We planned a nice little birthday dinner.”

“Sounds good,” Leslie said. “Nathaniel is taking… taking me somewhere. I-is that okay?”

“That’s perfectly all right,” he said. “Besides, we have to go into the office because there has been a new development in the case.” Leslie looked a bit worried for a second. All these weird bodies have been showing up with no real connection other than the weird marks at certain parts of their body. At first it was thought that they were drug addicts, however there was only one strange mark on the back of their necks that proved differently. After that they noticed that it appeared they were patients of some kind if their clothing was any indication. The strangest aspect was that the patient outfits did not belong to Beacon Mental. Instead it appeared they were in different uniforms. They matched none of the other patients’ clothing from the surrounding hospitals and other mental health facilities. It had left the entire police department in turmoil because the people were not missing in any way or identified. Joseph and Sebastian seemed to be spending an increasing amount of time in the precinct. Leslie worried about their health and that it could lead to something bad.

“Is there… is there any luck?” He asked slowly eating the pancake in front of him.

“I can’t discuss cases with a civilian,” Sebastian said in a joking tone. “But since it’s you, there is no solid leads. We are simply waiting for the next body to appear.” Every lead they had roughly a month and half ago vanished. The witness had died with a drug overdose and Jimenez has pretty much vanished into thin air. No one knew where he went. No one knew what happened to him. They could not get into contact with Mobius. There is literally nothing they could do. All they really could do is study the bodies they had further. “Don’t be leaking this to the press though. I know your friends with a reporter.” He ruffled his hair a little.

“Leslie laughed fixing his hair back to normal. “I w-won’t tell anyone,” he said.

Sebastian began cleaning up the kitchen. Joseph then came behind Leslie hugging him. “Happy birthday, Leslie,” Joseph said. He was dressed in his normal attire with his hair still a bit wet from the shower. “We’re going out to eat somewhere tonight for your party. We invited your friends and Kidman and Oscar are coming.”

“Now it’ll be a party,” Sebastian cheered.

Joseph smiled softly. He went to get his coffee, most likely his third cup this morning. He has honestly been too tired as of late. The cases kept piling up along with all the bodies being discovered. “When is Nathaniel coming to pick you up?” He asked.

“I-I’m going to… to meet him,” he said. He was not lying, but on his way to meet his friend he was going to attempt to visit Ruben. He hadn’t seen him in such a long time. He figured since Marcelo was not there anymore it seemed like it would be safe to visit him. Leslie was worried about him. “Is that okay?”

“Just text me when you get there, okay?” Joseph said. Leslie nodded his head. “Good boy.” He drank more of his coffee. He tapped on the older man’s shoulder. “Ready to go, Seb? We need to get there before Kidman.”

“And why is that so important?” He asked.

“Because I don’t like getting showed up by a rookie,” the Canadian answered. “I was like here when I was a rookie.”

“You liked to show up your superiors?” He asked.

“Yes.” Joseph answered seriously. “So, let’s go. Leslie, you’ll text us when you meet up with Nathaniel right?” Leslie nodded his head.

“Oh shit, I almost forgot your present,” Sebastian said putting the apron away. He went back to the bedroom. He returned holding a wrapped package in his hands. It looked to be about the size of a brief case, maybe a little bigger. “Here is one of your presents. Joseph and I got you something else, but I felt like this was just too perfect for you.”

Leslie took the gift in his hands looking at the brightly colored wrapping paper. His nimble fingers began to tear off the paper. It fell to the ground as he looked at the gift with wide eyes. It was a dark wooden box with bronze clasps on the front of it. He sat it on the counter after moving his plate aside. He opened it up to see that it is an art set filled with everything he could ever need. Beautiful colored pencils, charcoal, paints, and brushes, and so much more. All these unique tools could be used to create something beautiful. He couldn’t wait to use it. There were so many things that Leslie could draw. The teenager hugged Sebastian very happily. “Thank you,” he whispered. Sebastian hugged him back.

“Don’t mention it, kid,” Sebastian said. Joseph subtly took a picture of them on his phone. He looked at it smiling a little bit.

“I’m definitely framing this one,” Joseph mumbled. He looked the time sighing. “Alright, we really will get beat by Kidman today. Seb, let’s get that nice ass into gear.”

“Geeze, Joseph, she’s really got you irritated,” Sebastian said. “Take care, Leslie. See you later tonight. Keep in touch.”

“I will,” Leslie said with a smile.

The two detectives left the apartment. Leslie stayed in the kitchen looking through his new art set. He thought it would be a good idea to buy some new canvases while he was out with Nathaniel. He was excited this set and creating something nice. He was also looking forward to what Nathaniel had planned. It was a little worrisome about what his plans might be, however, it made it even more exciting. He relaxed a bit as he took out some of his tools then he decided to clean up the kitchen. He washed the dishes and straightened the apartment up a bit waiting for Nathaniel. After cleaning he began messing more around with the supplies. He couldn’t remember the last time he painted. It had been too long. He looked at the colors, the brushes, and ideas kept coming to his head. He wanted to get a canvas so badly. He decided to wait because maybe Nathaniel will take him to get one.

His phone suddenly rang. He answered it. “Hello,” Leslie answered.

“Hey, I am down by the front of the building.” Nathaniel said. “Ready to go? Amanda is here too.”

“Be down soon,” Leslie said. He hung up the phone. He grabbed the apartment keys and walked out of the door. He came down to the car seeing Nathaniel in his old Chevy that he bought at a police auction. As far as Leslie is concerned the only thing that happened in this car before is that a drug dealer owned it. Honestly, that was fine by him. He got into the front seat. Amanda was in the back seat because he was the birthday boy and deserved it. Leslie looked over to Nathaniel. “W-where are we going?” He asked.

“That is a surprise,” Amanda said. They began to drive to a location Leslie was vaguely familiar. He might have lived in Krimson City for a while now, but he was still not familiar with the city that much. But, Leslie always liked the city. He liked how the buildings towered over everything. It was strange to think that people would live anywhere else. Then he noticed they were pulling into a back-parking lot. All three of them got out of the car. They walked a bit to the final location. It was the Krimson City Art Museum. Leslie’ eyes widened in surprise. He had not been here before at all. Him and Joseph hardly had any time to go out to do fun things like this because when they did have days off it was normally spent doing other activities. But this was so nice and special. He smiled hugging both of his friends before walking inside the building. Amanda and Nathaniel went in before him. Leslie then felt something very familiar. It reminded of his eight birthdays.

 

* * *

 

 

_Leslie and Trevor had two very different interests that were far apart from each other. His brother was gradually getting more active in sports. His favorite was of course basketball. He liked it because he was very fast and enjoyed working with people. Their mother even signed him up for the children’s league in their town, so he can meet other kids with similar interests. He was a more social kid since joining the team, despite the fact he still had sessions regularly. But it was helping him break out of his shell. Leslie on the other hand was the opposite. He enjoyed the arts. He liked sticking to himself and working on his own projects. Hardly interacted with people. He just always felt subconscious around them because he looked so different from them. No kids his age had white hair and was as pale as him. Trevor at least looked normal. Leslie, though, was more equip for sticking to himself. However, even though Leslie and Trevor were different they were still close together. They always had each other._

_It was on their eighth birthday that their mother and step-father coming to the twins for who were playing together for a birthday surprise for the two. Their step-father had planned to take Leslie to a local art show. Leslie was excited about it because he never got to do stuff like this before. For Trevor he gave him a signed jersey from his favorite team. Trevor adored it and wore the jersey for two weeks after his birthday. But it was not such a good birthday. They were driving down to the art show with both boys talking to each other. Their mother was talking about dinner plans for their favorite place. The older sister looking at both boys with a small smile._

_“I don’t think they will have nude models,” the step-father said. The daughter rolled her eyes. “Plus, even if they did, it’s like the least sexy thing ever.”_

_“Were you one?” Leslie asked completely innocently._

_The mother laughed loudly. “Clearly, he was,” she said messing with her husband. He grumbled a little bit, but Leslie knew they were happy. He looked over to his brother to see that he was a lot more silent than normal. When they had arrived at the art show everything had been completely normal. They were walking around and seeing all the lovely artwork. Trevor then began to breath heavily. It was almost like he was having a panic attack. This began to worry their mother as she kneeled in front of him._

_This has happened a few times since his father’s death. He was in the car when it happened. Despite him joining a team and trying to come out of his shell, it was still hard on him. He was still partly reserved. He would cling to his mother whenever she was around and barely talked. This was one of his panic attacks. He often had them when he was around a huge crowded area. Leslie tried comforting him, but it was hard. He watched as both his parents went off with him. Leslie knew that neither of them were normal, but it was hard seeing him taken away like that. The step-father told his daughter to watch after Leslie while they took care of Trevor. Now it was just the two of them. Leslie looked down at the ground. His sister looked at him, sighing. She took him to watch look at some of the artwork. Leslie was silent, and she clearly noticed this._

_“What’s wrong?” She asked. “Normally you’d try to get involved or something, but now you’re acting odd. Is it Trevor?”_

_“Do you… do you think we will ever be normal?” Leslie asked. She froze a little bit. “People make fun of us and… and my father didn’t even want me…” Tears began to well up in his eyes. “It’s not… it’s not fair that Trevor goes through this.”_

_She brought him into a hug. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with you,” she said. “Don’t cry. I really don’t do well with tears. But hey, Leslie, you got me now, my dad, and you’re in a better place. You know we wouldn’t let anything happen to you now. What you and Trevor are going through is normal. But after a few years you and Trevor are going to be in high school, then college, and move on with your lives.”_

_“D-do you mean that?” He asked._

_“Yeah,” she answered. “Now, let’s go get some candy and look at some sculptors.”_

_Leslie smiled holding onto her hand as they went about the rest of the day. Sometime later they met up with his brother. Leslie managed to get a picture for his brother. Trevor was thankful for it and it was nice. Leslie stayed close to him the rest of their birthday. It was simple and not an ideal birthday, but at the end of the day it was just the two boys falling asleep in the car. For that moment it felt like the world would be right. If Leslie had his brother they could face anything. But that was a fantasy._

 

* * *

 

 

Leslie looked at all the different artwork with Nathaniel and Amanda beside him He could honestly spend hours in this place. There was so much to look at, so much to study that it overwhelmed Leslie a little bit. He looked all throughout the museum. He would spend time looking at certain pieces over other artworks. He wondered around rooms looking at everything with detail. Somehow, he got separated from his friends. Probably because they weren’t paying much attention to him while he was stuck looking at a Monet. He continued going through the museum slowly, staring at the pieces before him. It was nice. He never took time to really study other forms of artwork. Being surrounded by the classic artists felt refreshing. He began walking to the other room before stopping briefly.

He noticed there was someone else in the room walking around. Leslie looked around noticing there was no one else with them and Amanda and Nathaniel were nowhere in sight. The teenager bit his lips nervously not liking the idea that he was alone with a stranger. He noticed there was a camera in two corners of the room. He sighed. This brought a little bit more comfort to his mind. Then the stranger came beside him looking at the same art piece as him. Leslie could take a better look at the stranger. He was covered in bandages, had on a nice white dress shirt and black pants. He nervously began walking away acting like he was looking at other pieces. It felt strange and suffocating in the room. He quickly went to the other room to find Nathaniel and Amanda. They were laughing about some joke. He felt so much better having them close by.

“Leslie, after this we are going to a café downtown that Amanda says has the best treats ever,” Nathaniel said. He seemed excited about this place. Leslie nodded his head.

“Sounds good,” he said. “W-what kind of treats?”

“Brownies mostly,” Amanda answered. “Then after that we are going to check out the modern art exhibit.”

“Sounds good, but I-I’m going to take my time,” Leslie said. “S-see you there?”

“Sounds good. Meet you at the art exhibit,” Amanda said. The two of them walked out of the room. Leslie enjoyed the silence of the museum. For some reason it was silent moments like this that helped his mind rest. He liked the artwork, seeing all the colors pop out and the brush strokes. He sat down looking at the wall of portraits. Leslie could stay here forever, it was silent, peaceful, and it was the one place that seemed to make sense to him. He didn’t feel out of place here. He might feel in place here, but there was someone else in the room that did not fit in this perfect little world. The strange man walked into the room. Leslie didn’t notice him because he was too caught up in his thoughts. That did not last though, since his thoughts were disturbed when he finally noticed the man. Right away he felt uncomfortable with the stranger. His hands twisted together nervously, his gaze went to looking at the ground, and he felt the other man looking at him. Maybe he should have gone with Nathaniel.

Leslie tried to ignore him, act like nothing was wrong. But his eyes wondered. He looked at the man who was covered in bandages. The man looked at him, but Leslie looked ahead to the painting in front of him. The man got a little It made him moved a little closer. Leslie stood up to leave when saw that the man was right beside him. Leslie froze.

“There’s no reason to be scared,” the stranger said. That fear suddenly went away when he recognized that voice. “You’re also a lot smaller in person. I knew you weren’t big, but you’re just skin and bones.”

“Ruben?” Leslie asked nervously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIIVVE!!!!! Sorry I have not been active, but I took on 21 credit hours this semester and managed to break my hand! But now I am back, one handed and all! Keep being amazing! Love yo faces!!


	30. The Birthday - Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final conclusion to Leslie's birthday! He is a growing boy who we all adore, however, things always can't be happiness and birthday cakes.

_The first birthday Leslie spent with Joseph was something to remember. Joseph had taken the day off to go to a local amusement park because it was comfortable enough that it was not too big or overwhelming for Leslie. There were fun rides, bright colors, and all sorts of unique activities for him. This was the ideal place for Leslie. It was good for him to be out in a slightly crowded area for him to get used to crowds. For the past couple month Joseph has hired a tutor to help him get caught up on his studies, but soon Joseph would like to get him enrolled in public school. It would be hard since it would be a new environment, however, it was the best things for Leslie._

_Then there was the fact that Joseph was still learning what all Leslie enjoyed. Luckily discovering habits, likes, and dislikes was easy for a young Detective Oda. It was fortunate that they were similar in terms of likes. They both enjoyed a peaceful silence, classical music (which seemed to keep Leslie calm), books, and both had a soft spot for cotton candy. Which is why Joseph thought the amusement park was supposed to be a calm day for them. It was, for the most part. However, trouble always has a habit of rearing its’ ugly head. A man, a disgruntled employee, came into park holding a gun. Joseph stepped into action to protect the innocent people at the park._

_During that time Leslie was hiding in a little store watching Joseph do his work. It reminded Leslie of when he saved him from that serial killer. This situation just showed Leslie who Joseph truly was as a person. He put others in front of himself. Leslie peaked out the window to see him slowly approaching the man. When he wasn’t cooperating Joseph managed to tackle him to the ground taking the gun away. It wasn’t long until police units came to the scene. Leslie was close to him, not having any desire to be far away from him. Joseph’s old partner was there talking with them._

_“Just seems like you can’t get out an off-duty day,” she commented to the younger man. “I mean, you come here for a fun day with Leslie, now this.”_

_“It’s a big day for him,” Joseph explained. “It’s the first birthday we are celebrating together, and I wanted it to be special.”_

_“Oh, you definitely got that right,” Tina said. “I don’t think Leslie will forget it any time soon.”_

_“Thanks,” he said rather deadpan. “But if we are done here I got to get home for presents and cake.”_

_“Have fun,” she said. “And don’t eat too much sugar. You know it makes you hyper at work.”_

_“Ha-ha, very funny,” Joseph said. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow then with any extra cake I have leftover.”_

_She waved him off as Joseph went to Leslie, taking his hand, and walking out of the park and towards the car. They got inside. Joseph thought that Leslie didn’t enjoy his time because of how quiet he was being. “Leslie, are you okay?” He asked. Leslie nodded his head. “I’m sorry it wasn’t exactly the best birthday. I didn’t expect some disgruntled employee to come.”_

_“I-it’s fine…” Leslie said. “I-it re-reminded me of…” He couldn’t bring himself to say the rest, but it seemed like both understood what he was trying to say. He knew that they were going to have a little birthday party between them when they got home. Which would be nice. Leslie looked over at his adoptive father. It was strange. They were alone in this world together at this point. Joseph chose this, and it meant the world to Leslie. Without Joseph he would be just a nameless face in a mental institution. “T-thank you…” He mumbled looking down._

_“For what? I haven’t even given your present today,” Joseph said._

_Leslie shook his head. “N-no…” He said. “F-for being my… my dad… f-for being there.”_

_Joseph couldn’t hide the smile or the little cry of pride he got from hearing those words. Leslie felt safe around Joseph, and he didn’t feel that way often around people. Now it was just the two of them versus the world. It might take time for them to get truly adjusted to each other, but for now it was good to know that there was someone there for the other._

 

* * *

 

 

“W-what are you doing here?” He asked nervously. “I-I thought… W-why are you-you here?”

“Wishing you a happy birthday,” he answered simply. “I figure this would frighten you less.” He motioned to his body being covered in bandages. “Maybe I was wrong.”

“Th-thank you,” he told him with an appreciated smile. Ruben gave a small smile back. It was weird to be this way with him. Leslie was so used to the two of them only touching through the glass or even just simple text messages. Being this close to made Leslie realize that Ruben was a little taller than he realized. It was a little intimidating. Leslie swallowed his nervousness to try getting some answers from him. “H-how did you-did you get out?”

Ruben was silent for a minute or two, almost like he was thinking of something. “I knew some people,” he explained. “They were able to get a reduction off my sentence. It’s nothing for you to concern yourself with.” Leslie didn’t like the fact he was able to explain everything so easily. It bothered him for some reason. The question of “why was he here?” kept running through his mind. The part of his mind that liked Ruben tried not letting it bother him, but the other half, the half that knew he might be dangerous, knew this seemed very odd. Ruben then handed Leslie a small present wrapped in gold colored paper. “A gift for your birthday.”

Leslie opened the present seeing that it was a pressed sunflower inside a frame. It was a sweet gesture, causing Leslie to blush a little bit. It was something that he never expected coming from Ruben. He didn’t seem like the type to give something so nice. Both had some connection to sunflowers. For Leslie it reminded him of his mother and Ruben thought it reminded him of his sister. Both of had fond memories connected to it that only ended in tragedy.

“It-it’s pretty,” he said smiling happily. “T-thank you.” Ruben seemed pleased. Ruben then took a seat to look at a painting. Leslie joined him for the comfortable silence. It’s not like they needed to speak for them to enjoy each other’s company. If anything, there is something more to this. It was real. Leslie felt his heart beating a little faster thinking about how he was so close to kissing him. He was so close to leaning against Ruben. It was a little scary to him. He looked at the bandages covering his face, but he could see his eyes and lips clearly though. The older man obviously noticed that he was looking at him because the man turned to look at Leslie. He turned away quickly blushing a little bit brighter. Red really showed on his pale cheeks. “I-I missed you…”

Ruben reached a bandage to Leslie’s head ruffling his hair lightly. It was strangely gentle and affectionate, something he didn’t expect something gentle to come from him. He never really understood Ruben. Sometimes he would be very sweet in certain ways, but then he would appear so calculating and cruel. Now he is being so gentle towards him. Leslie, though, could almost tell there as some mechanical thoughts to his movements. It was like kind gestures weren’t natural for him. Leslie almost wondered if it was just around him. He hated how his heart was beating faster. The teenager tried to ignore it desperately. It strange. He was so close to Ruben.

“I missed your as well,” he responded. He liked this. Maybe this is what having someone to love. It felt strange. Maybe this is how Joseph feels when he is with Sebastian. “I will say it has been lonely without your visits. Anything you wanted for your birthday?”

Leslie shook his head. Though there was one thing he wanted. It wasn’t like it was bad, but at the same time it was strange to ask that someone that request. He looked down at the picture a bit more. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to be this way with him for as long as possible. “I-I don’t-don’t think so…”

“Well, you aren’t very selfish,” he told him. Leslie smiled lightly as he felt a hand wrap around his shoulders. It felt so nice. He naturally leaned against him. This was nice. He was tempted to kiss him, but something disrupted their peaceful time.

“Get your hands off him!” Shouted Nathaniel. Ruben immediately stood up calmly with his hands held up. He wasn’t trying to be standoffish in the slightest. It surprised Leslie. But, what made him the most unsettled was that he was that he didn’t show any fear in the slightest. In fact, he seemed to be pleased with this interaction. He smirked looking at him. “What’s so funny?”

“You’ve gotten bigger since I saw you last,” he mentioned. “You’ve gotten a lot from your mother.”

“What…” He began saying, getting ready to punch him when Ruben suddenly snapped his fingers in front of his face. Leslie opened his mouth when he noticed how his face looked completely blank. That was strange. It was scary. It was almost like Ruben had some control over him.

“I’m going to get some help,” Amanda’s voice suddenly said. Both Ruben and Leslie looked at her. She ran off before either of them said anything.

Ruben began pacing around Nathaniel’s body looking at him. Leslie was standing there completely shocked. “Ruben…” he finally breathed out. “What… why… He-he’s a friend!” He managed to say. “P-put him back. Please!”

“I am not harming,” he assured him. He grabbed Leslie by his chin to look at him. Leslie felt fear run through him. He couldn’t explain this feeling, but it was like he was staring at him like he was a test subject. “It was the simplest way to stop an annoyance.” Leslie tried backing away from him. He was stopped by Ruben taking his hand. “I didn’t mean to scare you. That certainly wasn’t my intention.” Leslie looked at him with a worried expression. His heart was beating so fast that he could hear it in his ears. “I’ll put him back to normal. Happy birthday, Leslie.” He kissed the top of his head. Ruben let go of Leslie before going over to Nathaniel, whispering something into his ear. Nathaniel looked dizzy, falling.

Leslie went over to him, making sure he was all right. When he looked up he could see that Ruben was gone. Amanda came in running with a guard. Leslie’s face with still a bright red flush and his heart was still pounding. He wasn’t certain how to react to this. But Nathaniel opened his eyes when they came around him.

“Are you okay?” Amanda asked nervously. “You were completely out of it.”

He nodded his head. “Yeah,” he answered. “It just felt like I was asleep. Where is the guy?”

“G-gone…” Leslie answered.

The guard began looking around the room for any sign of the strange man. Leslies wondered where he had gone. But all the mattered now was making sure that his friend was all right. Amanda helped him up. They made sure he was in stable condition before they had to go returned home. They walked out to the car. Leslie kept his secret present hidden under his shirt. Amanda seemed a little bit shaken by this experience. It was strange. Now that they were inside the car, Amanda was pissed off.

“Who the fuck was that guy?” She asked. Nathaniel shrugged. “So, a mystery guy. Now, did he touch you, Leslie?”

“N-no,” he answered.

“Anyways, who wants to stop by the police station?” Nathaniel suddenly said. Amanda gave him a look. “Look, no one got hurt, Leslie says he’s fine, and maybe we can bring this up with my mom?”

“Alright, that sound fair,” she said. “It’s just, he didn’t look human. I’ve never seen anyone like that.”

Nathaniel was oddly quiet, like Leslie. “He felt familiar,” he mentioned. “Like, he mentioned my mom. But, today let’s just ignore it. This is Leslie’s birthday and we don’t want it to suck.”

“I supposed you’re right,” Amanda said. “Oh, we haven’t given our presents to Leslie yet.”

Leslie smiled as he listened to his two friends talking to each other. Eventually he realized that they were at the station. Leslie got out of the car with the three of them. They walked through the door. They saw a banner saying Happy Birthday Leslie. It was a little shocking to him. Nathaniel smiled with a big smile. “Surprise! Your party is earlier than we said!” Nathaniel explained.

Leslie smiled happily everyone there to celebrate his birthday. They had some snacks, cake, and presents set up in the meeting room. Joseph took him to the meeting room, so they can sing happy birthday to him. The candles lit up and everyone started singing happy birthday to Leslie. It made him very excited. He closed his eye to make a wish. Everyone cheered then began opening presents and eating cake. Leslie got a few artbooks, some special paintbrushes (from Kidman), and some canvases. Nathaniel and Amanda chipped in to get Leslie a big easel for him to set his artwork on. Overall, he felt very happy he got so many nice things by the people he cares about.

This was a good birthday for him. It was simple. Joseph felt happy about this as well. Leslie felt like things were normal for a change. Yet, Ruben still plagued his mind. He wondered what happened in the museum. It scared him because that wasn’t like the Ruben he had grown to know. Now, things felt strange. Nathaniel seemed fine, but something still worried him. He decided to ignore it and enjoy his birthday. He left the thought of what Ruben was doing outside of his prison to spend time with his friends and family.

 

* * *

 

 

After the party Leslie was being driven home by Amanda and Nathaniel. It was a god birthday for him. Better than he had had in years. People talked to him about how adult he was becoming, rowing more into that lanky body he had. It was strange to have so many different people adored him. It was good. Joseph looked more relaxed than he had been for years. Normally Leslie’s birthday was some big mile marker, or even to remind him that he isn’t normal. His mother always made sure that he was normal. When she died it became Joseph’s responsibility. He felt better this time than any part in the past. Once he was home, he talked with his two friends. They talked about the party. Amanda mentioned how she was thinking of a new story to cover that she was excited about, however, she refused to tell any of them that secret.

Nathaniel then decided that he wanted to head home. He had been feeling dizzy since that experience at the museum. Amanda told Leslie a final happy birthday before he left. When they were gone Leslie went back to his room, taking a deep breath. His father and Sebastian would be coming home soon for dinner, which Sebastian had mentioned at the party that he was making some traditional Castellanos food. Which most likely meant something that Sebastian often cooked for his family and was insanely delicious. Until they returned he decided to relax outside to look at the city. Leslie grabbed a blanket and a big pillow to lean against his window with the short little space he had outside. It was something small for fire escaping, but Leslie found it was a nice place to be when he wanted to have some fresh air or to hear the sounds of the city.

When he settled on the little space he closed his eyes to enjoy some sunlight. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he suddenly heard someone say. He jumped at the sound, turning to see that it was Ruben. He backed away. He knew where he leaved. That wasn’t creepy at all. After the weird shit he pulled today Leslie didn’t want him anywhere near him. This wasn’t his Ruben. This was a stranger that just happen to be like Ruben.

“S-stay away,” Leslie stated. He wanted to run away, but the exit was where the other man was standing in the way and the only other part was his room. He could get inside. That was worst. “Y-you d-did something to my-my friend. W-why?”

Ruben then began to unwrap the bandages covering the burns that had healed over time. He looked at his hands before turning his attention to Leslie. “I was a different person when I was younger,” he explained. Leslie looked at him with distrusting eyes, but listened. “Some of the things I have done I am not proud of, which have destroyed my life and others. What I did was something that I was not proud of. I apologize for causing such a scene. I didn’t harm him, and I would intentionally hurt you or your friends, Leslie.” He reached a scarred hand towards him. The albino looked at those angry scars. He knew what he was saying were lies. He knew how to recognize a lie.

Leslie looked away from him, not wanting to interact anymore with the man. Ruben sighed. “Leslie, don’t you want to talk like we used to?” He asked. That wasn’t fair. It made his heart ache a little. He feared Ruben. He knew that much. He was a liar. He was scary. He is someone he should not trust. Yet, there was something about Ruben. He tried figuring out if it was because they had gone through great tragedies or something completely different. There was a bond between them even if he tried to distance himself. “I enjoyed our talks. It’s been such a long time.” D-don’t t-touch or hurt m-my friends,” he demanded. He tried making it sound and look as convincingly as possible.

“It won’t happen,” Ruben promised. This sounded genuine for a change. Leslie let down his guard a little bit feeling like he meant it. “I wouldn’t let anything harm you, Leslie.” He let his hand rub Leslie’s cheek gently a little bit. A million thoughts ran through Leslie’s mind about Ruben and the scenario that they were in. It scared him. It worried him. Maybe it was something deeper connecting the few. Finally, Leslie said something.

“T-than you,” he said. Ruben gave a smile at him. That made his heard flutter a little bit when Ruben moved his hand from his cheek to wrap an arm around him in a protective manner. “Y-you won’t l-leave m-me, pr-promise?”

Ruben was silent for a few moments before bringing him closer to his body. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he responded sternly, but still sincerely. Leslie felt happy, but there was still uncertainty. He was not sure how long this can last, being this content and happy. He’s only ever experienced stuff like this rarely. Maybe this might be different. Leslie closed his eyes, enjoying the embrace of the older man.

 

* * *

 

 

_Anna Withers looked down at her sleeping children. It was their first day on this planet. Their father was elsewhere, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was looking at them sleeping soundly. Twins. She wasn’t expecting twins at all. She rocked their roller beds back and forth. A doctor then came inside the room. It wasn’t her normal doctor, but someone else. The woman had on glasses, black hair was pinned up in a tight bun. She had on the typical doctor’s coat on with a black dress underneath it. She smiled at the new mother._

_“Mrs. Withers, how are you feeling?” She asked._

_“I just gave birth; how do you think I feel?” She asked. “But I’m fine. My boys are healthy.”_

_“And born with two completely different genetic conditions,” she mentioned. “Leslie has albinism. Which is really rare among people, but also even more so with his brother being born differently.” She gave this woman a suspicious look. “Forgive me, but I represent a company known as MOBIUS. We study aspects like this. Your boys are special, Mrs. Withers. We can make this worth your while. We would be interested in studying them. All you have to do is allow us to do so.”_

_“My boys aren’t going into a lab,” she told her. “My family has been through enough. All that matters to me is that they are safe.”_

_“You realize your family has a long history of schizophrenia?” She asked. Anna nodded her head. “We could help with that at an early age. We can give you and your family the life they deserve.”_

_“I don’t care,” she told her honestly. “These are my children. Now leave before I call for security.”_

_“Very well, Mrs. Withers, take care,” she said leaving the room._

_Anna turned her attention back to the boys with a soft smile. She picked them up looking down at the twins whimper and whine. “It’s okay, my babies,” she said. “Momma is here. Momma will always protect you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to posting! But I am going to try keeping things regular, even though I keep saying that. Ugh, school and life right? But here is another chapter! Hopefully this next chapter will be good!! Enjoy!! Next chapter will feature Joseph and Sebastian, with a side of FUCKING RUVIK! Thank you guys so much! Love you faces!


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